Camp Storybrooke
by theonewhocouldnthandleit
Summary: Emma Swan, along with Mary Margaret, David and many others, has been a camp councilor at Camp Storybrooke for years. This summer, a new councilor, Killian Jones, joins the group and quickly attracts the attention of a certain blonde. Disclaimer: Don't own OUAT or the characters or anything really!
1. Chapter 1

The day had finally arrived. Emma Swan checked her list, scanning it for the fifth time that hour to make sure she had everything in order for when the campers arrived. She then pulled out her phone and went over the itinerary for the day even though she knew it by heart. After working at Camp Storybrooke for the past 10 years, Emma knew exactly what the first day of camp went like: bus arrives and kids are everywhere, they get settled in, have a light snack and then they go to bed. It may be the easiest day by far, but it required the most organization to get the campers all sorted out. It was days like these where Emma was grateful to have an amazing team of councilors to work with.

Technically, the camp belonged to Emma's best friend Mary Margaret Blanchard's parents, Eva and Leopold. But the old couple had retired long ago and while they still owned the property, they let Emma and Mary Margaret run the camp together. The two girls hired a whole new group of councilors and had been working with them every summer since. The team went through some tough times, with personality's clashing and petty arguments heating up, but eventually, they had found the perfect balance.

Emma glanced at her watch and looked down the gravel path leading up to the entrance. The Camp Storybrooke bus that was chartering all the kids was nowhere to be seen. They were already half an hour late.

"Mary Margaret!" Emma called as she spotted a head of raven hair making its way towards her. "Where the hell is Ruby with the bus? She was supposed to be here 30 minutes ago and she hasn't texted me or anything."

Mary Margaret checked her watch and frowned. "Maybe they ran into traffic," she suggested, reassuring the blonde. "Oh! And Ruby's not driving the bus, she can't come up until tomorrow."

"Who's driving the bus then?" Emma asked. "David?

"Okay, Emma. Don't hate me for this..." Mary Margaret started.

"What did you do?" Emma was unsettled by Mary Margaret's sudden hesitance. Why did it matter who brought the kids here?

Mary Margaret avoided Emma's piercing green eyes. "I sort of hired someone new and forgot to tell you. I'm sorry, I should've run it by you but it was kind of last minute," she rushed out all in one breath.

"You forgot to tell me?!" Emma cried. "I'm the one who organizes the councilors when they get here, don't you think I should know who's coming?"

Mary Margaret cringed. She knew Emma would blow up about this. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about it, but we really needed someone. We had more boys sign up this year and needed another male councilor. His resume is good and he seemed nice on the phone."

"Wait, you've never even met the guy?" Emma couldn't believe this. "What if he's a creep and doesn't get along with us or the kids?"

"It'll be fine! He's a friend of David's from college and sounded more than happy to help. He even offered to do it for free," Mary Margaret persisted, trying to calm Emma down. "Besides, Archie will be heading the Crocodile Clan with him."

At Camp Storybrooke, the kids were split into "clans" upon their arrival and did daily activities with their group. Emma's was the Swan Clan and Mary Margaret's was the Sparrow Clan. Each group had two leaders so one could take some time off if needed or could leave if their presence was required elsewhere. Eva and Leopold had heaps of money due to inheritance and had more than enough for all the staff. However, the councilors were all happy to spend the summer there and worked for much less than they were offered.

Emma just hoped this new guy wouldn't drive a knife into their well-developed system.

"Fine," Emma sighed. "But I don't like him."

"You don't even know him, Emma. Just give him a chance," Mary Margaret pleaded. "He has a cool accent too! He's Irish."

Emma simply checked her watch. Again.

"He's 35 minutes late, that's what he is."

 _Bloody, buggering hell!_ It was not Killian's day. First, he realized he forgot to pack socks, so he had to go buy at least a week's worth, which was humiliating enough without the strange look from the cashier. That little excursion then made him miss his bus that he couldn't run after with his suitcases. When he finally made it to the charter bus terminal, he had half the time he had thought to drive to the gathering place to pick up all the kids. After racing through rush hour, he loaded the children on without a glitch. Believing his luck was changing, Killian set off only to be thwarted by fate yet again. It turns out he was supposed to fill up the gas in the bus prior to getting on the highway.

So there he was, stranded on the side of the road with a busload of children singing "The Wheels On The Bus" over and over and over.

He had texted David Nolan who was up at the camp to see if he could bring enough gasoline to fill the tank for the remainder of the trip. Killian's phone lit up beside him and he answered it above the symphony of "Down By The Bay".

"David? What's the plan?"

"I'm on my way, I'll be there in five. How are you holding up?" David was concerned for the newbie of the camp. He heard high-pitched squeals in the background.

"Can you make it here in three?"

"He forgot to get gas?! I can't believe this.." Emma went on, pacing as Mary Margaret talked to David on her cell.

"Yup. Okay. See you soon." The petite brunette shut off her phone and looked wearily at Emma. "They're about ten minutes away. Would you wipe that scowl off your face? Everything will turn out fine, just go with the flow."

Emma sighed, but decided to take her friend's advice. Explanations and such could be shortened or moved to the next day or something.

"You're right," Emma conceded, "like always."

Mary Margaret grinned. Her positivity was contagious, and Emma let her excitement for the summer return.

The pair chatted for a while about how to make up for the lost hour. Finally, they saw lights coming down the driveway and were greeted by a few honks of the horn. They heard a loud "Welcome to Camp Storybrooke!" from David, followed by an eruption of cheering.

After all the luggage and sleeping bags were unloaded from the bus, each councilor was responsible for assembling their clan and taking them to their cabin. Although the clans were separated by gender, they always did activities with at least one other group.

Emma seeked out Elsa, the co-leader of the Swan Clan and asked her to organize their group. Elsa led most of the activities as Emma was managing the rest of the camp for the majority of the summer. Elsa didn't mind though, and had become a close friend of Emma's. She could sense the stress Emma was often suppressing and took on the tasks right away. Upon arrival, they had to go through the papers the kids had with them and do a final check to see if the parents had filled out the form regarding pick up from the camp. This was just to make sure everyone had a plan for when the week was over.

With her clan taken care of, Emma searched through the crowd of children, looking for...

"Emma!" She felt a small pair of arms throw themselves around her waist in a tight hug. When the kid pulled back, she ruffled his hair and crouched down to his level.

"Hey Henry! How's it going?" Henry threw himself into another hug and his answer was muffled, but Emma could feel his smile. Henry had been coming to camp for 5 years and could be a councilor himself if he weren't only 12 years old.

"Wow! You've got a lot of bags there, kid. I'll help you find your councilor. What clan are you in this year?" Emma asked her favourite camper.

Henry fished out a paper from his backpack and read the top. "It says I'm in the Crocodile Clan. Awesome! I'm with Archie and... who's Killian?"

Emma peeked over his shoulder at the name. _Killian Jones_. That was just fantastic. Henry was stuck with the irresponsible, negligent, careless, impulsive, immature...

"That would be me."

... absolutely gorgeous, tall, lean, striking man beside her. This was not going to end well.

"And you must be Henry. A Camp Storybrooke veteran, so I hear." Killian checked the final name off the list on his clipboard. Emma took that moment to shut her jaw (When did that drop?) and compose herself. What was Mary Margaret thinking?!

"This is my fifth year coming here and I stay for the whole two months!" Henry said, buzzing with excitement.

"Well, lad, I hope we can make this your best summer yet! Before we head off, I just need to see that your parents have accounted for your return, as you are probably well aware," Killian smiled, and looked expectantly at the paper in Henry's hand.

"You see, I don't actually, um... I don't..." Henry began, blushing slightly. He tugged at Emma's sleeve, bringing her into the conversation she had refused to join for some reason.

"Oh! I'm signing for him," she said.

And then green eyes met blue.

For a moment, everything around Emma faded and nothing was left but the vibrant blue eyes holding hers. Loathe be Emma to admit it, but this man was incredibly attractive. He had dark, unruly hair and a shadow of scruff along his jawline. His t-shirt revealed well-toned biceps and clung to his waist, leaving no question as to whether or not he was in good physical shape.

Killian himself appeared to be in a similar daze. He had heard about Emma's fire and slight case of stubbornness from David, but never did he imagine such a personality would sport such a figure. Her long blonde hair cascaded down past her shoulders, and her legs went on for miles. Killian couldn't help but stare at the way the woman before him held herself, like an angel who could kick your ass if she wanted. He met her eyes once more, and finally saw where she kept her fire. The thing that surprised him the most was the fact that she was keeping it hidden behind well-constructed walls.

Henry dug his feet into the gravel, successfully breaking the moment. Killian seemed to recover a little faster than Emma, who mentally kicked herself to stop staring at him.

"It's really supposed to be the parents who sign though," Killian said, just trying to do his job.

"It's fine." Emma took the pen off his clipboard and scrawled her signature on the line. She looked up and saw that Killian, amused, had raised an eyebrow at her shortness. She rolled her eyes. He may be hot, but she knew she would hate him. "I'm the head councilor here, we can sort it out at the meeting tonight. I'll see you later, Henry," she said to the boy, ruffling his mop of brown hair once more and making her way to the dining hall where the leaders were to bring their groups after settling in.

"Bye!" Henry called after her. He turned to Killian who was watching her go with an odd expression on his face. All Killian could think about was the fiery, yet guarded look in her eyes and the pull deep in his gut that made him want to break down the mile-high walls he recognized so easily. _Bloody hell._

"So.. are we going or what?" Henry was itching to get the summer started.

"Hmm," Killian mused. He suddenly noticed that they were the last two people in the parking area. "Oh! Right, yeah. We better be off if we want to catch up with the others. Need a hand with your bags?"

After all the campers had called dibs on the best bunks and unloaded their bags, they made their way across the field separating the cabins from the dining hall and piled inside for a formal welcome. They got to hear what their week was going to look like, who their councilors were and about the general rules of Camp Storybrooke. Granny Lucas, Ruby's grandmother, introduced herself as the camp cook and discussed food allergies and the like. Finally, they received a rice crispie square and a glass of water before returning to their cabins with one of their clan leaders for the night. The remaining councilors gathered around a table to discuss the first day and how the rest of the week would play out. Mary Margaret conducted the meeting and it went smoothly and efficiently, allowing the councilors to turn in early to prepare for the long week ahead. Just as Emma was pushing her chair in, Mary Margaret came up next to her.

"Hey, how did everything go tonight?" Mary Margaret inquired.

"Well, Elsa took on most of it, but my clan seems tame enough. How about you?"

"The Sparrow Clan is ready to go! Did you manage to catch up with Henry yet? He needed you to sign his form."

"Yeah, I found him when he came off the bus. Speaking of the bus, I also sort of met the new councilor," Emma snapped, fixing a glare at Mary Margaret. "I can already tell that he is going to be nothing but trouble. And, you stuck Henry with him for the entire summer? You know protective I am of Henry.. How am I supposed to leave him in the hands of a stranger for two months?"

"I'm glad you feel that way, because I've talked to Elsa and Archie and instead of running the afternoon activities tomorrow, you two will be having a get-to-know-each-other meeting," Mary Margaret announced, as if this were a grand idea.

"You've got to be kidding me," Emma groaned. "That means I have to spend, what, three hours alone with this Killian Jones guy?"

"Emma, this will be good for you. He's really not that bad. Plus, you can take some time to explain your relationship with Henry, seeing as those two will spend an awful lot of time together."

"He doesn't need to know anything about our lives. It's not like he's going to be..."

"Emma," Mary Margaret interrupted, knowing where that conversation would have been headed. "You're going to be seeing a lot of him over the next few weeks, so I think it would be a good idea if the you learned to like him."

Emma crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"At least learn to tolerate him," Mary Margaret compromised.

"Ugh fine!" Emma huffed. "But no promises. Goodnight Mary Margaret." She stormed out of the hall, hearing her friend chuckle behind her.

"Whoa! Enough maple syrup there, kid?" Emma exclaimed as she took a seat next to Henry at breakfast the following morning.

"You can't have too much maple syrup. And besides, I need some for my pancakes, waffles, sausage and bacon," Henry explained, adding to the lake on his plate.

It always took Emma by surprise at how much Henry changed every time she saw him. She was certainly not used to seeing him eat this much, with two plates for all the food the teen aged boy needed. She wished she could see him all the time, watch him grow up and become the young man she knew he would. _Maybe if everything goes accordingly this summer..._

"... is awesome!" Henry finished, pulling Emma out of her thoughts.

"Sorry, what?" Emma had clearly missed the first part.

"Killian!" Henry exclaimed. "He's so cool. He told our clan stories about his life training in the British navy. And look!" Henry pulled a long chain from his pocket and grabbed the object on the end. He lay it out flat on his palm. "It's a real compass," he said with awe. "I was asking Killian about exploring further into the forest this year, and he said we could go as long as I guided us. Me! I don't know how to do that! Killian said he'd teach me. Then, he gave this to me to use for the whole summer!" Henry's eyes were sparkling with excitement as he cradled the golden compass.

Well. So much for Killian being a jerk.

The tables in the dining hall were set up so that everyone ate with their clan, and there was an extra table for a few councilors and staff. They went up group by group to get their main course from the kitchens, then passed the vegetable, fruit, salad, condiment and cutlery table on the way to sit back down. The councilors also did a small roll call at breakfast to assure that everyone made it from the cabins. Killian was starting to get worried when Henry was missing from his table.

"Henry?" He called a little louder over the chatter in the hall. It was filling up and he couldn't spot the boy anywhere. "Henry?"

"He's eating at the staff table with Emma," came a voice from behind him. He turned around to see Mary Margaret settling in with the Sparrows. She sat down and dropped her voice. "Henry is a bit of a special case around here and he rarely eats with anyone but Emma. He loves all the staff, but those two have this... unique bond and Camp Storybrooke is a very special place for both of them." Killian tried to understand what she meant, but felt he was missing some information. "Emma should really be the one to explain it," Mary Margaret said, sensing his confusion. "It's not something she just shares with everyone." With that, she turned around and dug into her pancakes.

Killian stood up and scanned the room until he spotted the staff table. On the other side of the room, he saw Emma throw her head back, laughing at something Henry must have said. He smiled to himself as he sat back down.

"Okay. Let's get this over with."

"That's hardly the attitude to go into a three hour meeting with, love."

"Don't call me love."

Emma really was going to kill Mary Margaret. Killian may be good with kids, but was an annoying ass to Emma.

After breakfast, the camp had split into four groups, two clans in each, and went on nature hikes to play games in the surrounding forest. Four councilors was plenty to watch over 16 kids, leaving Killian time to mutter flirtatious innuendos under his breath as he walked by Emma, making her blush non-stop. By the end of lunch, she had to grip her t-shirt in order to restrain herself from punching him in the face. She knew he did it just to get under her skin, and was not going to give him the satisfaction of letting him know it got to her. Emma was pretty sure he knew anyway.

"Fine, alright," he replied. "And you said this was Mary Margaret's idea? If you want to get close to me, there's no need to use her as an excuse." This was why Emma couldn't stand the guy.

"Can you be serious for like, one second? Is that even possible for you?" Emma spat.

Killian was taken aback by her tone and realized he had crossed the line. Angering her would only make the next few hours hell. "I apologize, lass."

"Thank you," Emma exhaled. "So, would you mind if I asked you a few questions? I coordinate all the councilors and I need to know who I'm working with."

"Like an interview even though I've got the job?"

Emma nodded.

"Sounds good to me. Shoot." Killian leaned back in his chair. They had decided to meet in the dining hall as it was empty in the afternoons.

"What made you want to work at Camp Storybrooke?"

"Well, my mate David called me up and said you were short on male councilors. He told me about what sort of things you guys do here and they interest me, so I said I'd be glad to help out."

"And what sort of job lets you take the whole summer off?" Emma asked him, the tiniest bit curious to see what he did.

"I'm a marine biologist and I work at an aquarium. I was supposed to mentor an intern this summer, but I got the call from here and offered the lad the job for two months. He happily accepted and here I am!" That was certainly not the answer Emma had expected. Not that she'd thought about him at all.

"Interesting. What do you do outside of work? Any interests?"

Killian considered making a quip seeing as Emma had set it up perfectly, but he refrained. "I'm afraid I don't do much outside of work, I take as many shifts as possible. That way, I'm busy almost 24/7. But I do enjoy sailing and I volunteer with boy scouts. That's actually why David thought of me for this job."

Emma took a moment to consider this information. She thought someone like Killian would have people lining up to hang out with him outside of work.

"Do you ever just hang out with people? Relax and go out for a night?" She saw something flash in Killian's eyes before they returned to normal.

"But that would require effort.. and friends!" Killian laughed as he dodged the question completely, but she caught the evasion, spotting a hidden loner like herself. If anyone knew about avoiding vulnerability, it was Emma.

"So no social life whatsoever?"

"Oh, I'm social, darling," he said with a smirk. He just couldn't seem to help himself.

"I'm sure you are," she muttered. "Anyway, how about your family? Any siblings take all the good looking genes?" She could taunt him too.

"Are you saying that I'm not dashing?"

"Can you focus please?"

"I really don't see what family and friends has to do with any of this," Killian stated, his smile becoming strained. Emma saw more pain flicker behind his eyes as he looked at his hands, and decided to drop it completely. She understood that more than anything.

"It's okay, never mind," she replied quickly. Killian picked his head up and gave her a small smile, grateful she didn't push the question. "Henry mentioned you were in the navy academy. What made you join that?"

"It gave me a great education and really let me explore my options. I also learned all about boats which was pretty interesting. However, I didn't stay long enough to become of age to fight and I moved across seas when I was 17."

"That's pretty young. Why did you move?" Emma got the feeling Killian was withholding part of the story.

"There was nothing for me there," Killian admitted. Silence fell over them as Emma tried to read between the lines. Her perception of Killian Jones was rapidly being turned on its head.

"How about you, Swan?" Killian asked, bringing Emma out of her reverie.

"How about I what?"

Killian chortled. "What's your story?"

"Ha! Wouldn't you like to know."

"Perhaps I would," he responded right back with a smirk. "Mary Margaret mentioned something about you and Henry, something that you might tell me. Care to share?"

Emma's smile faltered. "Wasn't this an interview about you?"

"Last I checked, it was a get-to-know- _each-other_ meeting."

While Emma usually escaped a conversation before ever having to talk about herself, she found herself trusting Killian more and more. This should have scared Emma way more than it did. But he was Henry's councilor after all, and deserved to know what the deal was in case Henry ever wanted to talk about it with someone other than Emma.

"Fine. But please don't bring it up with Henry unless he comes to you, he's very sensitive about it." Emma looked at Killian who nodded gently. She took a deep breath. "The first time Henry came to Camp Storybrooke, he was seven years old," Emma started. "This orphanage in town sent all the kids to different summer camps and Henry ended up here. When I heard we had a camper from an orphanage, I sort of felt like he was my responsibility because I, um.. I'm also ..uh," Emma felt her voice catch in her throat, unable to go on.

Killian's eyes softened. "You were the head councilor back then as well?" he offered quietly, choosing a route so Emma didn't have to. She suspected he knew that was not what she was going to say.

"Yeah. By the end of the week, Henry and I had grown very close. I was the only adult he trusted, so when they came to take him back, he cried and ran away to hide in the forest. We got the orphanage to talk to Eva and Leopold, who own the camp, to see if Henry could stay longer. The orphanage said they wouldn't pay for any more weeks and demanded to take him back. I.. I couldn't let those horrible people take him away, so I paid for the rest of Henry's summer out of my paycheck."

Killian's eyes widened. "Emma.."

"Wait, let me finish," she said. "At the end of that summer, Henry agreed to go to the best orphanage we could find him if I promised to take him when school let out for winter and spring break. I agreed without hesitation. I'm not even sure if it was legal, I was only 24. So Mary Margaret, David, Elsa and I spent winter and spring break here in the houses at the top of the hill and all took care of Henry. I'm sort of self-employed so I can work from anywhere, and Eva and Leo didn't charge us to stay here during those weeks. It was a perfect arrangement. By the time the following summer rolled around, Henry begged the new orphanage to let him come and apparently, his parents left him a load of money in the bank. He uses that to pay for coming here every summer to this day." Emma let out a breath. "And that's what we've been doing for the past five years. I look after him every winter, spring and summer break."

Killian was speechless, he just stared at Emma.

Emma laughed softly."Yeah, it's a lot to take in."

"Wow, Emma. I just... Wow." Killian babbled. "Thank you for telling me," he said finally. Killian thought for a moment. "May I ask you a question?"

"Um, sure." Emma prepared herself for the regular "How could you send him back?" or the "Who are you to decide where he spends his time?".

"Does he know that he's just about too old to stay at the orphanage? That he'll soon be moved to the closest group home, none of which are in this state?"

That was not what she was expecting. "How do you even know either of those things?" Emma asked incredulously. It's not as if many people knew anything on the subject.

"You didn't answer my question," he replied.

"No, he doesn't know. I'm still trying to figure out how to tell him, but I have another plan in mind that I've been working on since last year. I'm not sure how that will play out though."

"I suppose you are in a tricky situation. Thank you again for letting me know." Killian's face suddenly broke out into a grin. "Now, how about a game of 20 Questions?"

"I'm really not in the.."

"What's your favourite colour, Swan?"

Emma rolled her eyes.

"Red."


	2. Chapter 2

The first few days went by in a blur. Having the 7-10 year olds come at the beginning of the summer was always a hectic time, but the councilors had the most energy in the first two weeks and could easily deal with all the running and shrieking. The Clans went swimming in the lake down the hill from the eating hall and played games in the field and forest. The campers learned about the outdoors, and how it would have felt to live where there was no modern technology. David and Kristoff often organized their Stallion Clan into a game of capture the flag in the woods against the Sparrow Clan.

There was also a large abandoned warehouse a short hike away from the dining hall that Camp Storybrooke had cleared out and turned into an activity room. Inside, they did arts and crafts and played games on rainy days.

The first Wednesday, the Swans, Wolves, Foxes and Crocodiles were all gathered inside to play dodgeball. Henry, who was older than the other kids during the first few weeks, agreed to be the referee, giving the councilors a small moment to relax on the sidelines as they watched over their Clans. A whistle blasted and soon enough, balls were flying through the air in all directions. Robin and Will, the Fox Clan leaders, joined the battle and it turned into a full-fledged war. Ruby was in the kitchens helping her grandma prepare for spaghetti night (the Wednesday night special), leaving Belle with the responsibility of the Wolves.

Emma sat on the risers they'd set up a few years back, trying her best not to laugh when Will got nailed in the face by a throw from a seven year old.

"You think that's funny, Swan?"

Emma jumped in her seat, startled by the sudden company. Killian took a seat next to her and gave her a sly grin.

"What do you want?" she mumbled.

"Aside from the pleasure of your company, you mean?" he replied, letting the words slide off his tongue.

"Killian."

"Alright, alright. I was just wondering if Henry and I..."

"Hey guys!" Elsa greeted as she came up to the pair. "Archie wanted to plan something with you, something about a hike tomorrow," she told Killian. "Do you think you could go see him? He's helping some kid outside."

"Yeah, of course." He got up to leave.

"See you later, Killian!" Elsa said.

"I look forward to it, love," he whispered, his voice dripping with implication. Elsa giggled as he walked away. She looked back to catch Emma rolling her eyes and letting out a small huff.

"Looks like someone had their grumpy cereal this morning," Elsa teased. Emma glared at her friend. Together, they watched Will rally his team against Robin for a few minutes.

"How do you stand him?" Emma spat, out of nowhere.

"How do I stand who?"

"Killian!" Emma retorted.

"Okay, what is your problem with Killian? He's actually very nice."

"He's just so... ugh! Can we talk in the hall for a sec?" Emma left Elsa to follow as she stomped into the hallway attached to the main room.

"Emma. What is wrong?" Elsa pressed as she followed the other blonde. Emma stopped halfway down the hall and leaned against the wall.

" _Killian_ is what's wrong!" Emma all but shouted.

"Don't you think that's a little harsh?" Elsa reasoned. Emma shook her head and glared into the floor. "I know the Crocodiles and Swans are scheduled to do most activities together this summer and you'll be around him a lot," Elsa continued, "but from what I've seen, he seems to be doing a great job here. The kids love him!"

Emma couldn't deny the fact that Killian was an amazing councilor and great with the campers, but she wouldn't ever admit it aloud. She saw the way he truly cared about each and every kid, noticing when one was upset or uneasy. He would do things like spend time ashore with one who was too scared to swim and draw something in the sand with them. Emma was also surprised at how Henry had taken to Killian. Henry always raved about him during meals, and had begun to eat lunch with his clan, sitting next to Killian who was always happy to talk to him.

"So why don't you like him?" Elsa inquired, filling the silence.

"He just feels like bad news, you know? And half the things that come out of his mouth are stupid quips," Emma hissed. Elsa took her words into consideration for all of a moment.

"Those are definitely the worst reasons I have ever heard not to like someone," Elsa declared. "Come on, Emma. What's really going on?" Emma and Elsa had been close for so long, nothing got by either friend. Emma felt her face heating up under her friends stare. She couldn't really think of many more reasons.

"Oh my god!"

"I didn't even say anything."

"You didn't have to. You do like him!" Elsa said excitedly.

"I literally just said I didn't." Emma didn't like where this was going.

"Okay, sure. How did I not see this sooner?"

"See what?" She crossed her arms.

Elsa's grin grew wider, then became sly.

"You _like_ , likehim. And it's scaring the shit out of you. You like the way he only ever really talks to you, other than the kids, and the way he's always staring at you during meals and...

"Elsa! Are you crazy? I most certainly do NOT like..."

"..and his comments that "bug you" but really make you go all red. The way your eyes show that you are complete mush on the inside when you see him and Henry together. How could I not see this sooner?" Elsa repeated to herself.

"Hello? Elsa?" Emma said, bringing Elsa back from her rant. "I. Do. Not. Like. Killian."

"Then why does he bother you so much?"

"Because... We went over this! He's annoying."

Elsa knew her friend would never budge. "Fine," Elsa conceded. "But I'll only be convinced when you stop stealing glances at him during meals when you think no one is looking."

Elsa gave Emma a wink and left her speechless in the hallway.

After patching up a kid's bleeding knee, and sending him to the dining hall with Archie to get some juice, Killian was making his way back into the warehouse when he overheard some voices around the corner.

" _Emma. What is wrong?"_ Elsa's voice floated.

" _Killian is what's wrong!"_ came a shriller tone.

Killian was not expecting that. He listened, even though he knew this conversation was not for him to overhear.

" _Don't you think that's a little harsh? I know the Crocodiles and Swans are scheduled to do most activities together this summer and you'll be around him a lot, but from what I've seen, he seems to be doing a great job here. The kids love him!"_

Killian's heart swelled a little from Elsa's praise. He always worried that the kids wouldn't like him or that he wasn't good enough to be a Camp Storybrooke councilor. Killian felt that no matter how hard he tried, he could never free himself from his dark past to become a truly good person like the rest of them.

" _So why don't you like him?"_ he heard Elsa break the silence. He braced himself for Emma's reply.

" _He just feels like bad news, you know?"_ she said, confirming Killian's insecurities. _"And half the things that come out of his mouth are stupid quips."_

Killian had heard enough. He exited the building as fast as possible and made his way to the dining hall. _Of course_ the one person he innately felt he trusted didn't reciprocate the feeling. How could she? He was already too broken, she wouldn't want to get to know someone like that.

She was already too broken, he wouldn't want to get to know someone like that. The unwelcome feelings in her stomach when he was near set off all her alarm bells and she didn't really know what to do. It was just easier to keep him at arms reach where he couldn't be close enough to hurt her, but Emma would not be admitting that to Elsa anytime soon. She steadied her breathing. _And I most certainly do not glance at him during meals!_ Emma thought as she pushed off the wall and returned to the dodgeball game. _But who eats pizza with a fork anyway?_

Every Friday night, Camp Storybrooke held a camp-wide dance, giving the campers and councilors a final night of fun with their new friends. Some people liked dressing up for the occasion while others wore their t-shirts and shorts. It took place in the warehouse which the staff decorated with lights, balloons and streamers, and they played tons of fun music. Every camper attended, but could just hang out on the bleachers if dancing wasn't their thing. The councilors also had a good time chaperoning and serving Granny's special punch.

Killian entered the dimly lit room. It was just as he'd expected: stuffy, colourful and loud, but he began to enjoy himself nonetheless. He spotted Regina and Robin talking animatedly on the bleachers, and waved at Anna and Kristoff dancing in the corner. He assumed that after 10 years of working together, it made sense that certain relationships would form.

He made his way over to where Elsa was serving punch. On the councilor information sheet he'd seen about the dances, it was the Swan Clan leaders who took the first week on punch duty, but Emma was nowhere to be seen. Elsa caught his eye and waved before pouring more drinks. She wore a glittering blue dress that made it's way just past her knees.

"Good evening, Elsa. You look nice!" he complimented her.

"Thanks!" she said briefly and turned to attend to another kid who came up to the table.

"Isn't Emma supposed to take the shift with you?" Killian pointed out. "It's already 7:30, the dance started half an hour ago."

Elsa didn't seem phased by his statement. "Emma actually doesn't come to these things," she said. "She's never been to one that I can remember."

Killian joined her behind the table and started pouring drinks. Elsa flashed him a grateful smile.

They worked in comfortable silence for a while before Elsa put down her cup and faced Killian square on.

"Is everything okay, Killian?" Elsa asked. She couldn't help but notice the way his eyes were downcast and he was quieter than usual.

"Of course. Why wouldn't they be?" he replied as he stared into the punch he was stirring.

"Oh! Well, you just seemed..."

"Does Emma hate me?" he rushed, wishing he didn't sound so vulnerable. He continued to stir the bowl.

Elsa was taken aback by his question.

"No," she said gently. "Emma may seem a bit prickly, but she doesn't hate you. She went through a lot when she was young and now, she's a tough nut to crack, but she'll come around."

Elsa gave Killian a pat on the arm and went back to business.

Killian considered what Elsa had just told him. It may not have been that much, but to Killian it spoke volumes. It reminded him of those walls he saw behind Emma's eyes and the pain he recognized. If what Elsa told him was true, Killian and Emma were more similar than he'd thought.

Emma heard the dull thud of music playing in the distance. She was alone at a table in the dining hall, with paperwork for the camp splayed all over the surface. This was Emma's usual Friday night. Granny had made her some hot chocolate with cinnamon to make the night more enjoyable. Among the councilors, it was sort of taboo to talk to Emma about the dance. She closed up like a clam and got snappy when approached about it and no one cared to press the issue farther.

Emma was trying to figure out the numbers for the following week when she heard the door open behind her. She saw Killian in the doorway, dressed in a deep blue shirt that made his eyes look like a stormy sea and black skinny jeans. He looked like a rock star with his untamed hair and leather jacket. He made his way towards Emma's table.

"May I?" he inquired, indicating the empty chair beside her.

"Okay." Emma's voice was a little more breathy than she liked. Killian sat down and gazed over the mess on the table.

"Having fun are we, Swan?" he teased.

"Oh yeah, paperwork is the best," she joked right back. She really did Killian's company, but whenever she thought back about him (not that _that_ happened often), her mind somehow made him sound horrible.

"I've actually come to apologize," Killian said, scratching his neck. Emma's eyes snapped to his, and he could see the confusion settle over her features. "I overheard you and Elsa talking today in the warehouse."

Emma blushed, remembering her conversation with the other blonde and hoped he hadn't heard all of it.

"What did you hear?" she asked quietly. Her conversation with Elsa had played over in her head all day, and she realized that she had said some fairly mean things about Killian. She just couldn't help her stupid mind from enforcing the walls around her heart and blinding her from the truth: that Emma did trust Killian, more than she cared to admit after knowing him for only a week. That's what scared her the most.

"I only heard up until you expressed discontent for my joking around." Emma breathed a little easier knowing he hadn't heard Elsa's teasing. "I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable in any way, Emma. That was never my intent," Killian said solemnly. "And if you feel that I'm "bad news", I'll understand if you have Henry switch out of my Clan."

The sadness etched on Killian's face made Emma's chest seize. She hadn't really meant those things, she was just feeling... well, that was the problem. _Feeling_. But Emma never meant to make him feel hurt or inadequate.

"Killian, I... I don't want Henry to switch. You're amazing with him," Emma said softly. "And I'm not just saying that. He really looks up to you." She saw Killian pick his head up, eyes shining slightly. "And I don't mind your jokes or innuendos," she admitted, looking down with a grin. "Seriously, they're a nice distraction from the stress of the camp."

Killian could hear the sincerity in her voice and gave her a smile back.

"Oh I know plenty of ways to get rid of stress, darling," he then said with an obvious smirk.

"Ha ha, very funny." Emma was glad he was already putting this behind them. "How about you come into town to go shopping with me tomorrow!" she blurted out before her brain caught up with her big mouth.

"Shopping?" Killian was dubious as to what that entailed.

"For groceries and stuff," Emma corrected, hoping he didn't notice the blush climbing her neck. "You're new and haven't had the chance to do a run and it can be a new starting point for us."

"Yeah, okay. Sounds good." Killian was surprised by her enthusiasm, but was quite excited himself.

"Great! Meet me here at 8:00 tomorrow morning."

"I look forward to our adventure, love," he responded as he got up to leave.

"Don't call me..."

"See you tomorrow!" he called, interrupting her as he left the dining hall.

When Emma woke the following morning, she was hit by the intense quietness. All the campers had said their goodbyes and were safely home, leaving Camp Storybrooke with a certain emptiness. The councilors had the weekend to enjoy the area and recuperate before the onslaught of kids the following week.

Camp Storybrooke was nestled deep within the thick woods (which they'd nicknamed the Enchanted Forest) where there was a wide grassy meadow they used as a field and a crystal blue lake down a short path. Up the hill from the cabins, the dining hall and the field, there were two quaint houses hidden behind a curtain of trees. There was a narrow road off the main one leading to the camp that wound up to the houses. This is where Emma stayed on the weekend and where her and Henry lived during spring and winter breaks. Mary Margaret and David, newlywed the summer prior, were her neighbours. Since Eva and Leopold were loaded beyond compare, they only made Emma, Mary Margaret and David pay for half of the expenses of living there. Emma, who had moved in permanently at the beginning of the summer, could easily pay her rent by working in the town nearby on the police squad during the year.

Emma grabbed her bag and keys before strolling down to the dining hall. She breathed in the crisp air. The sky was free of clouds, allowing a morning chill to settle in, but the sun was working its way over the treetops, basking the whole camp in a golden light.

She opened the door and saw Killian and Henry hovering over a table, munching on cereal. She was surprised to see Henry up so early. He usually hung around the camp on weekends and explored the forest while Emma went into town with another councilor. Nevertheless, she greeted him with a smile as she took the seat beside him.

"Alright then, Henry." Killian saw that the boy had finished his cereal. "Why don't you go grab your backpack, yeah? Who knows what we'll find in town!"

Henry nodded eagerly and took off. Emma raised her eyebrows pointedly at Killian, wondering what just went down.

"He was quite upset last night, after all his new friends left, and I thought that if he came with us he might feel less lonely."

Emma was touched by how he cared enough about Henry to take his feelings into consideration. "That... that's really nice. I just hope he doesn't get too bored."

"The lad loves spending time with you, I don't think he'll mind one bit. Maybe if you throw ice cream into the equation, it will be more tolerable."

"Seriously?! Are you sure we're still talking about Henry?"

Killian gave her a sheepish grin, and Emma rolled her eyes. This man was a _child_.

Henry sprinted back inside. "I'm ready," he panted lightly.

The trio made their way to Emma's yellow bug, which was parked in the tiny staff parking lot. Killian offered Henry the front seat, but the he declined and climbed into the back, bringing out his game boy. They drove down the bumpy road until they finally hit the pavement of the highway and made the short trek to town.

They had a grand adventure in town, Henry dragging Killian to all his favourite spots he'd visited over the years and buying cart-loads of groceries for the camp. Killian even snuck some extra treats for him and Henry onto the conveyor belt at the checkout without Emma realizing until after she'd paid. That earned him a swift smack on the arm. ("It was worth it," Killian whispered to Henry.) They walked around the town for a bit and stumbled upon an ice cream shop. Either it was Killian and Henry's puppy eyes or her craving for Rocky Road, but she reluctantly agreed to go inside. Seeing as this was their lunch, they all got medium-sized ones that Killian paid for, saying it was a peace offering to make up for the treats.

They explored for a little while longer and found this movie theatre that was playing a movie Henry was dying to see. Not seeing a problem with why they couldn't stay longer (their groceries were all non-perishable), Emma called Mary Margaret to let her know they wouldn't be home until around 9:00 and that they'd find dinner in town.

They got to the movie theatre a bit late (thanks to Killian _needing_ to go into the model boat store next to the restaurant they went to for dinner) only to find the place packed, without three seats together. They stood at the top of the aisle and slowly made their way down, hoping seats would become available.

"There's one last seat in the very front! I'll see you guys after," Henry decided as he tore down the aisle to an open seat. Killian and Emma stared at him as he sat down.

"Well, I guess..."

"Yeah, we can just..."

"If you don't mind..."

"How about over there?" Emma spied two empty seats a few rows behind them, near the back. They made their way up through the people streaming in at the last moment. As they picked their way over the people who were already sitting, Emma was hyper-aware of the fact that Killian had lightly placed his hand on the small of her back, steadying her slightly. She exhaled as he sat down beside her.

"Thanks again," she whispered as the opening credits began, "for coming along and for including Henry."

"It was my pleasure, love," he replied in a husky whisper.

"Don't call.."

"Shhh!"

The batch of campers for the next week was just as crazy as the first, but the Camp Storybrooke councilors had everything under control. Emma finally felt as though she could start to relax and enjoy her summer, her smile becoming more permanent as the days went on. And _no_ , it had nothing to do with the dark-haired man who made her laugh every chance he could or steal her food just to spite her. It _definitely_ didn't have any correlation with the way he lit up whenever she passed or how he was quickly becoming her friend. Apparently, Mary Margaret found it quite obvious when she quirked an questioning eyebrow at Emma, who had just stolen Killian's fries from his tray, only to receive a glare in return.

That Thursday, Emma decided to take a break from her Swans and meet the Crocodile Clan at the lake. Henry had said something that morning about a surprise. She arrived down at the small beach, expecting to see Henry there (he was afraid of the water and had never learned to swim), but he was nowhere in sight. She peered out onto the dock where she saw kids climbing up and diving in and spotted a familiar face making its way towards the shore.

Emma's jaw dropped. Since when did Henry know how to swim? He was now close enough to stand in the water and had the biggest grin on his face.

"Quite impressive, isn't it? I would take credit, but the lad's a quick learner." Killian came up beside Emma. She whipped her head around to face him, still in complete shock as to what she'd just witnessed.

"Emma! Good surprise, huh? Killian taught me how to swim!" Emma looked back at Henry and didn't think she'd ever seen him so excited in his life.

"No more fear of the water, kid?" she asked.

"You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore, right Killian?" Henry beamed.

"Right!" Killian gave him a high five. In the distance, Henry's name was called, so he said goodbye and ran back into the water, laughing as he tripped and splashed in face-first.

"The courage to lose sight of the shore?" Emma crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Aye." Killian continued to survey the swimming kids. "My brother quoted that when he taught me how to swim."

"He must be wise."

"He was." Killian's smile didn't quite reach his eyes as he bid Emma farewell and went to help a kid who got sand in their eye.

Maybe there was more pain in Killian that she thought.


	3. Chapter 3

The second week wound down to a close and all that was left was the Friday dance. Mary Margaret and Anna had decorated the warehouse with their Sparrows and some help from the Mongoose Clan, even though Regina wasn't a huge fan of the festivities.

At dinner, the whole camp was buzzing with excitement over who would dance with who and what music they would request from the "DJ" (it was really just David, in these god-awful shades Mary Margaret hated).

While the Crocodiles were debating whether Ed Sheeran or Macklemore was cooler, Henry decided it was a good time to talk to Killian about... well... let's just say he had some _plans_ in progress.

"So, Killian. Excited about the dance?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Um, I suppose so. Yeah." Killian took a bite of salad.

"Are you going to ask Emma to go with you?"

Killian just about choked.

"Henry!" he chided, as if the idea were unimaginable.

"What?" Henry did his best to mask the mischief in his eyes with innocence.

"I don't think so, lad," Killian said with a shadow of a blush under his scruff.

"Why not?"

"Because.. I... we're... I mean we're not..." Killian sputtered.

"How about as friends, then. She's never been to one of the dances, maybe she finds them too boring. But you guys are friends, right? I think she'd have fun if you were there."

Killian stewed over the boy's words as he took another bite out of his dinner. He and Emma had a good time together, why couldn't they do that at the dance? He also couldn't believe she'd been working at Camp Storybrooke for a decade and never been to one. Wait, did Henry really think he would've _ask_ asked her? That kid was pretty cheeky for a 12 year old.

"And who are you asking, Henry?"

It was Henry's turn to go bright red.

"Yeah right! I'm older than all these campers. Besides, I could never ask out a girl," he added before stuffing some fries in his mouth.

"Tell you what. I'll go see if Emma wants to go to the dance if you agree to ask someone next week when they're your age," Killian proposed.

Henry hesitated. As much as he was nervous around girls, he really wanted to see Emma happy, and he was positive she'd have fun with Killian.

"Fine," he replied coolly. "But you also owe me another ice cream at some point this summer."

"Deal." Killian held out his hand and Henry shook it. He looked expectantly at Killian, waiting for him to get up and ask her.

"Now?" Killian was more nervous than he'd thought. The butterflies having their own dance in his stomach didn't help.

"Yeah. Unless you're scared or something.."

Emma sipped her iced tea as she listened to the conversations around the Swan table. While she never went to the dances, she wanted to make sure that the campers were going to have a good time. As for her Friday night, the paperwork she had to do would only take her half an hour tops and she was thinking of what she could do for the rest of the night when her table went quiet. She noticed the kids staring at her. No, just over her shoulder. What were they...

"Swan. May I have a word?"

Emma's heartbeat quickened (as it had been doing lately) at the sight of Killian's smile.

"Uh, okay." She mentally slapped herself for such a dumb-sounding reply as she got up and followed him to the kitchens that were currently vacant. She glanced behind her and caught Elsa's eye, her friend giving her a smirk, causing Emma to hastily look away from her.

They were rounding the corner into the kitchens when Emma saw that Killian looked slightly uneasy. "Is everything okay, Killian?"

"Um, yes. Everything's fine! How are you?" Now Killian mentally slapped himself. _Get a grip! Who cares if she doesn't want to go? You're just being nice and asking._

"Good," she responded slowly, unsure of where this conversation was headed.

"Good! Uh, listen, Iwaswonderingifyouwantedtogotothedancewithmeyouknowasfriendsitmightbefun," Killian rushed all in one breath.

"What?"

Clearly the "ripping-off-a-bandaid" approach wasn't going to work. Killian scratched his ear, a nervous habit. "I thought perhaps it would be fun if you wanted to maybe, you know, uh.. go to the dance tonight. With me. I mean, not _with_ with me, but as friends. It's totally fine if you don't want to, just thought I'd ask."

Emma was deeply touched that he would ask her. Her friends had in the past, but never bothered to anymore.

"Killian, thank you for thinking of me. I'm sure it would be fun, but I can't go."

She hadn't expected her response to make him look so crestfallen.

"That's alright, Swan," he said in a voice far too cheery to match his expression. "Sorry for bugging..."

"I really appreciate the thought though! And I really would love to go, I just _can't_." Emma tried to make him understand that it had nothing to do with him.

"Why?"

That was the question Emma dreaded. She had never shared her story with anyone at Camp Storybrooke. Mary Margaret, David and Elsa knew bits and pieces, but Emma's walls were so high that they were near impossible to break down. Somehow, the man before her was getting closer and closer to accomplishing just that no matter how much she tried to stop him, and for some reason, she felt that they understood each other on an inexplicable level. She saw the pain behind his eyes just as he knew the pain behind hers. They were kindred spirits, in a way.

Maybe that explains what she did next.

"Actually, maybe it's time I did go to one of these."

"Really?" Killian was startled by her sudden change of mind.

"Yeah," she said. "The only thing worse than dancing with you is paperwork anyway."

"That's hilarious, Swan." But Killian's grin was brighter than she'd ever seen it.

"Don't expect me to dress up or anything, Jones."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

When Emma arrived to the doors of the warehouse that night, she hesitated, her hand frozen on the handle. After all these years, she was finally going to go to a dance. _Why am I even doing this?_ A pair of blue eyes flashed in her mind, but no, he wasn't the only reason. Emma had decided it was time to put her past behind her; she was a grown woman, her ghosts shouldn't haunt her anymore. She could handle a dance. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

She weaved through the hallway, the music becoming louder the closer she got. She started to feel uneasy and stopped a few meters shy of the door to the dance to steady herself. _I can do this. It's just a dance. I'll be fine._

With a small burst of confidence, she opened the door and stepped inside. Emma was greeted by a stuffy room overflowing with children in bright colours running and dancing around, creating general chaos. And people wondered why Emma didn't like these.

"Swan!" She spied Killian picking his way through the crowd towards her and let herself breathe a little easier. "True to your word, I see," he noted, indicating her wardrobe choice.

Emma smirked. She had worn her camp t-shirt with jeans and boots and her hair was in a sloppy ponytail, hardly an elegant get-up.

"However, you look stunning, as usual," he added. He said it with such awe that Emma almost believed him, but she laughed in response.

"Come on!" Killian dragged her to a spot near the side of the room and started to dance while Emma stood there, unsure of what to do.

"This isn't called a "stand", Emma. It's called a dance." Killian grabbed her hand and gave her a twirl. Emma let herself grin and relaxed a bit. The song soon came to a close and was replaced by a slow, lilting one.

Emma's stomach jumped. She hadn't expected _this_ to happen. Glancing at Killian, he smiled shyly at her and took a step closer, as if waiting for her to make the final decision. She felt the corners of her mouth tug when she looked up at him and took a small step forward. Killian's hands ghosted her waist before he jumped back a few feet.

"Mind if I cut in?"

David appeared between them, having passed DJ duty onto Belle.

"Sure, mate," Killian growled as politely as he could. He gave Emma a tight smile and removed himself to the punch table.

"So," David said. "You decided to change your mind after 10 years of stubbornness?"

"I thought I'd come and see what the fuss was all about," Emma replied with a laugh. "I also came to see if you're as bad a deejay as I've heard you are."

"What?" David put on a shocked expression. "Whatever Mary Margaret has told you is a lie."

Emma had always loved David. He helped Emma get back on her feet all those years ago and had been like a brother ever since. He was always looking out for her even though he became a little over-protective sometimes. But Emma hadn't truly dated anyone in years, so he hadn't brought out his well-rehearsed "Don't hurt her or I'll hurt you" speech. Although it was a bit much, Emma had never had someone do that for her before, and she didn't really mind.

The song ended and Emma said goodbye to David as he made is way back to the laptop on a table in the corner where he chose the songs. Some DJ.

Emma considered it a success that she had made it through two songs, but the uneasy feeling was clawing its way through her again and she couldn't quite shake it. Killian returned with two drinks, handing one to Emma.

"Thanks," she said, her voice strained as she looked around the room at the kids laughing and having fun. The music began to thump in her head, mixing with the unwelcome memories she was trying to forget.

"Is everything alright?" Killian asked, his voice laced with concern.

Emma nodded and hid her face behind her cup, taking a long sip. Emma was definitely not alright. She saw some campers form a conga line behind Will and others in a big circle, jumping in the middle with their friends to do a move. All the lights and dancing and heat was suddenly too much. She couldn't do this. She felt tears building up in her eyes.

"I have to go," she told him. Emma put her cup down on a table, and raced out of the room.

Killian stood there, dumbfounded as to what just happened. _What was that all about?_ He hadn't failed to notice the tears she wiped out of her eyes as she ran off, and Emma didn't strike him as the person who wanted to cry, to be vulnerable, in public, let alone at all. But he felt responsible for bringing it on seeing as he had asked her to the dance. She must have had a pretty good reason not to go for 10 whole years and he had pushed her to ignore that. _Gods! I'm so stupid._ He couldn't just let Emma go off in such a state without apologizing.

Grabbing his jacket, Killian swiftly left the warehouse and searched for Emma. _She couldn't have gone too far. Where could she have gone?_ It was dark now, but he kept walking at a brisk pace, trying to think of where she would go. Somewhere close and comforting, somewhere that no one would be at the moment. _The fire pit!_

They had campfires almost every night except for the dance, so it would be deserted, and it was in a peaceful clearing in the woods a little ways behind the cabins.

As Killian approached the logs placed around the pit, he spotted Emma holding her head between her hands, resting her elbows on her knees. Killian's heart clenched, seeing the pain she was in.

Emma's head snapped up and she turned when she heard someone enter the area behind her. Of course it was Killian. She turned back around and wiped at her eyes in a last ditch effort to erase the tears. Killian went over and sat down cautiously in front of her.

"I'm sorry I asked you to come to the dance tonight," he apologized quietly. "I was unaware of the reason for your objection to them and I shouldn't have made you compromise that." Emma kept her eyes down.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Killian." Her voice was hoarse from crying. "I didn't know it would still bother me. I just... what happened ..."

"You don't owe me any explanation, Emma. However, if you would like to share, I'm here to listen or support you in any way I can."

Emma let out a shaky breath. She had never talked about this with _anyone_. But when she finally looked at him, she realized that Killian really did mean it when he said he'd _listen_ to her. Killian had also responded with nothing but caring so far, so maybe she could talk to him. Sharewith him.

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Emma had been scared to open up for so long that she wasn't sure she could do it if she wanted.

"Hey, it's okay," he soothed. "Wounds that are made when we're young tend to linger." Killian spoke as if he understood. Maybe he did.

"As a kid, I grew up in the foster system after having been abandoned at the side of the road by my parents who didn't want me." Emma's voice wavered and Killian's heart broke for her.

"I was told that I would have a family who looked after me and parents who treated me like one of their own, but somehow, I always landed in the ones who were in it just in it for the money. I... I didn't understand how you could take in a child and treat them so poorly. I'll spare you the details of my early days and what happened." Emma shuddered as her eyes glazed over at the memories, while Killian listened with rapt attention.

"Anyway, when I was 14, I really wanted to go to this school dance. I didn't have any friends or anything, but I thought 'Hey, it'll get me out of this hell-hole'. So I asked my foster father if I could go out for the night, and he said no. I was never really allowed to leave the house. I was so upset, so I snuck out the house that night to go to the dance and when I got there, people started to look at me weirdly. I didn't know why until I realized that I had worn a short-sleeved shirt, which I never did at that age, and they could see the bruises on my arms. Then, to make matters worse, my foster father showed up." Killian sucked in his breath. The tears in Emma's eyes started to fall down her cheeks as she told him the rest of the story.

"He came over to me and dragged me out of there by my arms while I was screaming, making a scene, and no one did anything to stop him. All I remember from the dance was the loud music and the smiling people turning around so they didn't have to watch the crazy orphan be dragged off. After that night, I was locked in my room for three days with a water bottle and a box of crackers until I escaped out the window and ran away. I never saw that man or the family again."

Emma exhaled slowly to calm herself down, feeling strange after revealing so much. She braced herself for Killian's response, surprised when it didn't come right away. She met his eyes and didn't see the pity she had expected, but a sort of deep understanding. The despair she felt, he knew it, too. He gently got up and sat beside Emma, holding her gaze the entire time as he brought a hand up to wipe the tears from her face. He offered her a hint of a warm smile. Emma realized what the strange feeling was; it was as if someone had taken the weight of the world off her back and given her wings. As vulnerable as she felt with all that out in the open, she felt lighter than she ever had.

"Thank you for listening, Killian," Emma said, aware of the stillness that had set over them. "I don't do this, well, ever."

"Any time, Emma," he replied sincerely. "I've learned that by letting go of your demons, they can't haunt you anymore."

They sat in the darkness, letting it capture Emma's bad memories and whisk them into the night.

"Well, I think I'm going to go to bed." Emma felt a fatigue settle into her body. "Please don't... please don't tell anyone that story. No one else knows and I would rather not have to explain it again. I hate crying," she added with a watery laugh.

"Of course, Emma. Thank you for sharing with me."

Emma rose from the log along with Killian. She took a few steps towards the path before turning around. Without thinking too much, she walked back to him and threw her arms around his neck in a tight hug, burying her head in the crook of his neck. He responded by gently wrapping his arms around her waist, making her feel safe and warm. She let him hold her for a moment, allowing for the feeling make its way through her body.

"Goodnight, Killian," she whispered as she let go and took a step back.

"Goodnight, Emma."

The following morning, with all the campers gone, the councilors had a peaceful Saturday breakfast. They often pushed three tables together so they could all eat meals together and discuss how the summer was going. Henry simply adored hanging out with all the adults, and had become quite mature for his age. Emma and Henry were debating whether Fruit Loops or Lucky Charms would rot your teeth faster when Killian made an appearance behind them.

"Morning, Killian!" Henry greeted his favourite councilor, apart from Emma, of course.

"Morning, lad," Killian mirrored, clapping him on the shoulder. He turned to Emma, opened his mouth and closed it again. Killian was a tad unsure of how to approach her after last night, but he thought that it would be in both their best interests if they tucked that conversation away in their minds and moved on.

"I've come to let you know I must return to town this weekend for a personal matter, but I shall be back Sunday evening." Emma let out the breath she'd been holding, grateful that Killian understood what the previous night had meant to her and that he made no move to bring it up again.

"Okay. Wait, how are you getting into town?" she asked.

"Dave is lending me his truck," Killian explained. _Dave,_ Emma thought with a grin. She was glad to see that Killian was getting along in the ring of councilors.

"Alright. Well, I guess we'll see you later then. Have a good weekend," Emma wished him.

"Thanks." Killian smiled and bid Henry goodbye, but Emma noticed something was off. He was fidgety and his eyes weren't the vibrant blue she'd come to know. She saw him make his way toward the exit.

"Be right back, kid." Emma leaped out of her seat.

"Killian." She caught up to him just before he left the hall. "Everything alright?"

"Of course, Swan. I know you'll miss me, but I'm sure you'll manage."

"I'm serious. You seem tense." Killian's teasing smile faded slightly, and Emma knew for sure there was something bothering him.

"I'm fine." His tone was clipping and implied the end of his will to converse. "See you tomorrow."

"Okay... Bye then." She watched him leave, confused by his sudden shortness. He was clearly upset about something. _Not that I care_ that _much, but I need to keep tabs on all the councilors,_ Emma told herself. _Lies,_ a small voice in her head pointed out. She tended to ignore that voice.

On the way back to her breakfast, she stopped at the fruit table where Mary Margaret was inspecting a red apple. Picking one up herself, Emma distractedly glanced between the piece of fruit and the door.

"Everything okay, Emma?" Mary Margaret inquired. She thought the blonde looked a little bit out of it.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Why?" Emma looked at the door once more before replacing the apple with a banana. Mary Margaret's smiled to herself, noticing Emma's flickering gaze. As much as she tried, Emma was no queen of subtlety.

"Never mind. But if you ever want to talk about, oh I don't know, anything of the Irish persuasion, I'm always here."

Emma dropped the banana on the floor.

"Mary Margaret!" she all but shrieked as she bent down to pick it up. She lingered near the floor longer than necessary, willing the blush on her neck to go away. She couldn't stop thinking about how it had felt to have Killian's arms around her, and she didn't need yet another reminder of the man.

"Just saying," Mary Margaret said sheepishly. With that, she put down the apple and took an orange instead before Emma could put in another word. Flustered, Emma put the banana back and returned to the table. She avoided Mary Margaret's eyes for the remainder of breakfast.

"It's just you and me, kid. What do you want to do?" Emma didn't have to do the grocery run this week and had the full weekend to spend with Henry. Since they couldn't really spend that much time together during the week, this time was special for both of them. Throughout the years, Emma had grown to truly care for the boy. Even in the beginning, when he had hardly known her, he'd look up at her with his big eyes and she could see the trust he had in her. It still amazed Emma how greatly he depended on her and how much faith he had that she would come through for him. At first it had scared her, his unwavering trust, but somewhere along the way, the fear disappeared and was replaced by something else. While Henry rattled off about thirty things he wanted to accomplish that weekend, Emma smiled at his enthusiasm. Maybe today would be the day...

That night, Kristoff made a roaring fire at the fire pit and the councilors gathered around it for some songs, ghost stories and marshmallows (as per Henry's request). One by one, the adults took off to go to bed as the owls hooted overhead. Henry, adamant about staying up as late as the "old people", was nearly asleep beside Emma on the log by the end of the night. Once they were the last two people, he rested his head on her lap and let his drooping eyes finally close.

"Tiring day, huh," Emma chuckled. "It was pretty fun though." She carded her fingers soothingly through his hair.

"'S pretty good," Henry slurred.

"Come on, kid. You made it. Time for bed?"

"M'kay."

Emma put out the dying embers with a small bucket of water and walked Henry to his cabin.

"Are you okay with sleeping here by yourself?" Emma just remembered that Killian wouldn't be there and Archie had to work in town on weekends.

She saw Henry's eyebrows knot themselves together for a moment before he figured out the problem. One look was all Emma needed to steer him up towards her house. His room would be in the same shape it was in when he'd left after spring break, although Emma had tidied it and washed the sheets.

"I'm not scared or anything, I just..." Henry mumbled as they trudged up to the house.

After brushing his teeth and getting ready for bed, Henry found Emma in the living room to say goodnight. She walked him to his room, stopping just outside the door.

"Have a good sleep, Henry." He nodded sluggishly.

"Goodnight, Emma," he said as he gave Emma a long hug. "I love you," he murmured.

Emma's heart nearly bounded out of her chest as it swelled at his words. He loved her. She had never been sure about how he felt about their situation or if he still wanted to stay with her. Not only did the boy she had such a special relationship with depend on her, but he loved her? Someone truly _loved_ her. She realized it's what she saw in his eyes whenever she greeted him in the morning, and what her eyes mirrored right back. _Love_. That's what had replaced Emma's fear when it came to caring for Henry.

"I love you, too," she confessed quietly.

Henry gave her a weary smile, stepped into his room and collapsed onto his bed. Emma gently closed the door before padding back into the living room to turn off the light and turn in as well. Emma felt tears blur her vision and took a moment to wipe them away. Never did she ever think... He was happy with her? He loved her? The boy may not know how much he meant to Emma, but she fell asleep with her heart full and a smile on her face.

Killian didn't arrive back at Camp Storybrooke until late Sunday night. Emma was just heading back up to her house after a quick meeting with Granny about allergies for the following week when she heard David's truck pull into the camp. She made her way over to the parking lot in the dark to see how Killian was doing.

"Hey," she said quietly as he got out of the truck. She didn't want to make any unnecessary noise.

"Hello, Swan." Even in the dark, Emma could see how Killian's face had been taken over by stress. "As much as I would love to talk, maybe it could wait until the morning?" he suggested, his voice almost pleading. _What had happened?_

"Of course," Emma reassured him. But seeing Killian without his usual grin was worrying her. Something was definitely wrong. Killian stood there awkwardly, making no move to return to his cabin for the night. It was as if he was waiting for Emma to leave.

"See you tomorrow, Killian."

"Goodnight," he pressed, rubbing his face in his hands with an anguished expression. Not wanting to push Killian into an uncomfortable position, she made to head up the hill.

As she was about to leave, a large mass in the bed of David's truck caught her eye. That was definitely not there before. _What was it?_ She stepped cautiously towards the back of the car.

"Swan.." Killian warned.

"Killian, what is..." She grabbed a hold of the tarp he had placed over top. After taking a final look back at Killian, who stared at the ground, she lifted the side. Her heart jumped into her throat. Underneath, a dozen suitcases and boxes were all stuffed to the brim. She saw one labeled "Books", one labeled "Kitchen" and another "Bedroom".

"I..uh... I got evicted from my apartment yesterday morning. They found out I had a pet last year, and I had two days to pack up," Killian explained dejectedly. "And I lost my job this morning. They said the intern showed promise and that he would be taking over." He couldn't bring himself to meet Emma's eyes. His whole neck turned red in shame as he dug his feet in the gravel.

"Is there anyone, maybe a relative or something, that you can stay with?" she asked timidly. Killian felt the blush creep up to his face.

"Not really," he admitted, his voice vulnerable.

Emma understood why he didn't want to ask for help, but did he really think that no one at Camp Storybrooke would be there for him? He had quickly become everyone's friend, but she knew this was a different kind of support that he needed. This would have been a call for help, making him think he's weak. _You don't like to depend on other people, either,_ the annoying voice in her head chimed in. Emma knew he didn't want anyone's pity, but she wanted to help him. And no, she was not going to look too far into why.

"Killian," she whispered, forcing him to look at her. "Give me the keys."

"What?" he stammered.

"Just give them to me, Jones."

Reluctantly, he handed them over and gave her a questioning look. She got in the truck and motioned for him to do the same. After he'd climbed in the passenger seat, she turned the keys and the engine roared to life. She backed up and headed down the road back to the highway. Halfway down the path, Emma took a right into a small gap in the trees and slowed down as they went uphill. Killian held his breath beside her. She hoped he wasn't thinking too much about what she was doing. Emma knew she sure as hell wasn't.

"You can store your stuff at my place," she stated, refusing to look at the man beside her.

She pulled up in a tight spot beside her house and cut the ignition. They both sat in silence for a moment before Emma handed Killian the keys and got out of the truck. When Killian finally got out himself, he saw Emma folding the tarp and surveying the boxes. Then, she hoisted two bags over the edge and brought them up the stairs to her door.

"Am I going to do all the work here?" she asked, then disappeared inside.

Killian took the second alone to slow his breathing. Emma wasn't repulsed by him or disgusted by a man who had just lost his job and home in one weekend. Not only that, but she was willingly helping him. He grabbed two bags and followed her inside.

Once all the pieces had been moved into her living room, they stood on Emma's porch, unsure of what to say to each other.

"Emma," Killian started, "I cannot express my gratitude for the kindness you have displayed tonight. I apologize for not letting anyone know, I thought perhaps I could handle it on my own and not be an inconvenience to anyone."

Emma felt her heart clench. _Of course_ he had been thinking of others while going through a tough time himself.

"You're not an inconvenience, Killian. You can keep your stuff here for as long as you need." Emma saw Killian straighten up at her words and he gave her a smile.

 _That's more like it._


	4. Chapter 4

Emma inhaled deeply as she stood on the driveway, awaiting the arrival of the Camp Storybrooke bus full of kids. She took the moment to bask in the quietness that enveloped the camp as the sun began its descent across the baby blue sky. This was the first week of the summer with the 11 to 14 year olds and she knew she'd have her hands full with the young teenagers, who could get pretty crazy. Children you could tire out and put to bed, but preteens were definitely a challenge.

However, Emma wasn't able to fully appreciate the peaceful moment as she was feeling fidgety, replaying the prior night's events in her mind over and over. What had she been thinking? She had invited a man, basically a stranger (at least, that was what she had to keep reminding herself) to keep his stuff at her place as long as he needed. And they both knew she had really meant it. The thing that was bothering Emma the most was that while in her head, she could rationalize it as an incredibly stupid idea, but her gut told her that she didn't mind in the slightest. For some reason, she could never get the two to agree.

She heard the rumble of wheels on gravel and turned to see the large, bright yellow vehicle bumping down the path. A blaring honk shook her out of her thoughts, followed by Killian on the speaker at the front of the bus.

"And on your left, you'll see the lovely Swan. Everybody, give Emma a wave!" Killian exclaimed as he pulled through the gate, giving her a cheeky grin through the window. Emma rolled her eyes and waved up at the kids who had crammed to the left side of the bus to greet her. She saw their smiles and how their eyes grew wide when they realized they were finally there.

The team of councilors made their way over from the cabins to start off the week with their new clan mates. Emma spotted Henry following Archie over with a definite bounce in his step. At last, there were kids his age that he could hang out with and she suspected that he was eager to start another week of fun.

As the councilors were sorting out their clans, Emma stole a glance over at Killian, who was helping a young girl find her group. The bags under his eyes had disappeared and there was no longer a solemn expression for him to try and conceal. Emma only realized a smile had crept on her face when he looked right up at her and gave her a small one of his own, before pointing at her and sending the girl over. Emma felt a rush of heat course through her and turned abruptly away, hating the effect one smile of his had on her. She was grateful when the young brunette came up to her and handed her a sheet, forcing Emma to come back to reality (not that she'd ever strayed, please) and focus on her job.

She checked over the camper's paper, letting her eyes skim over the schedule she had forgotten to check for that week. She scanned the time and activities columns, then headed straight for the one indicating with which clan the Swans would be pairing up each day.

Crocodiles. Of _freaking_ course. What she didn't know was how they'd managed to be paired up with her Swans _every single_ day because Emma was positive she would have remembered reading that at the beginning of the summer when she'd skimmed the general plan.

Then it hit her. Who else would have thought it hilarious to mess with her? Emma did her best to feel annoyed that Killian had somehow managed to switch up the groups, but the giddiness she was trying to ignore simmering in the pit of her stomach was making that quite the challenge. Nonetheless, she proceeded with organizing her clan and when she caught Killian smirking in her direction (he damn well knew she'd just found out about the changes), she scowled.

Like their website states, Camp Storybrooke is a place where the kids "learn and play in the outdoors and make new friends with whom they'll forever share fond memories". That was really code for "we're sticking your kids in one big group so they're easier to look after". It also worked incredibly well with the teenagers who had an abundance of energy and could hang out with kids their age all day.

For the activities, they always mixed a boys clan and a girls clan so they weren't separated by gender the whole week. This meant Emma was stuck with Killian, who'd reverted back to his charming, impish self.

On the campers' first full day, Killian organized a soccer game on the grass field before lunch. ("It's _soccer_ , Killian." "I bloody refuse to call it that, Swan. It's _football_.") Emma, never having been a fan of the sport, reluctantly agreed to referee the game.

After the teams were made, the ball was placed at the half and the game began. Shortly after the kickoff, Killian jogged over to where Emma was standing near the sidelines, gazing up at the fluffy clouds (she was clearly not a very committed ref).

"Oi! Swan! If you're refereeing, you can't simply daydream." Killian appeared beside her and she snapped her head down to immediately scan the field.

"I am watching! Nothing's happened so far though, it's kind of boring," she admitted with an airy tone, knowing this would aggravate Killian, who loved the sport.

"Maybe I'll make it interesting then. Want me to go trip some little kids?" he joked. Emma thought she might as well use some of the power he had granted her. She could throw him out of the game, right?

"Ha! I'm the referee, don't think I'm taking my eyes off you for a second."

"I would despair if you did," Killian shot right back, his tongue darting out to his lips before he took off down the field. _Damn him._ She hated when he got the last word.

The game went on and more councilors brought their groups to join in the fun. Pretty soon, it had turned into a councilors versus campers game. In the dying minutes of the game, Killian dribbled the ball beautifully up the middle, lay it off to the outside, got the ball back and wound up to take a shot. Emma watched Killian shoot as if it was in slow motion, but it all happened too fast. He didn't see the small ditch he was about to step in and he was greatly off balance from shooting which caused him to fall at an awkward angle onto his left wrist. While he did score a goal, he landed in a crumpled heap on the ground as his team celebrated behind him. It took everyone a second or two, but they soon realized he was in serious pain.

Emma had been the first one to notice and was already making her way onto the field when she told Elsa to run and grab a first aid kit from the hall. "Idiot," she muttered to herself as she wove her way around the players to get to him. He was writhing in pain when she reached him, but was trying his best not to show it.

"Hey beautiful," he winced as he cradled his arm and tried to stand up. Emma ignored his comment and grabbed his good arm to help him up. "I suppose I'll be taking a breather, then," he notified his team, trying to pull off a smile which greatly resembled a grimace. She told everyone to keep playing and reassured them that he'd be fine. She guided him off to the sidelines where Elsa had placed the first aid kit and they sat down on the grass.

Without saying anything, she took out a bandage and some tape which would keep his wrist in place temporarily. At least it didn't look like too serious of a sprain. She shifted to sit in front of him, placed her hand under his elbow and took his wounded hand in hers. Emma couldn't help the butterflies that blossomed in her stomach at the contact. His hand was warm and slightly calloused, rough against her soft skin, but it felt like their hands _fit_. It felt _right,_ and Emma needed space. After placing it in a position she deemed okay, she rummaged through the kit long enough to try to erase the tingling in her hand. She found some scissors and finished up her taping job.

"Thank you, Emma," Killian said as they stood at the sidelines. She nodded in response and smiled before turning her head back to the game. She felt Killian shift closer, their arms barely brushing, but lighting sparks between them. He turned towards her and his breath tickled her ear.

"How about that goal, Swan. Don't you think it deserves some type of... _reward_?" His voice was a husky whisper.

"You're ridiculous!" Emma snorted.

"Come on, Swan," he persisted. Emma tore her eyes away from the busy game and faced Killian. His eyes flickered to her lips and back up. "No _compensation_?"

"Please, you couldn't handle it," Emma replied.

"Perhaps you are the one who couldn't handle it," he retorted.

Emma held his gaze, his eyes glinting with mischief as they swayed ever so slowly towards each other. Suddenly, Emma brought her arms up and carded her fingers through his raven hair until they rested at the nape of his neck, toying with the soft hair there. Her forehead was barely touching his and their noses were nearly bumping. Her breath mixed with his as she opened her mouth slightly.

"Not going to happen," she breathed.

With that, she all but leaped away from him, not noticing his shell-shocked look. She went and blew the whistle indicating the end of the game, still breathing heavily from what she just did.

 _Her eyes are like sparkling emeralds when she's in the sun.._

 _ **Why did I just do that?**_

 _And her hair is so golden.._

 _ **What was I thinking?**_

 _She was very,_ very _close..._

 _ **Are his eyes really that blue?**_

 _Gods, I'm screwed._

 _ **What the hell is wrong with me?**_

Both Killian and Emma simply went through the motions of putting food on their plates for lunch, completely preoccupied with the thoughts racing through their heads. Emma didn't even notice when she helped herself to some lasagna. She hates lasagna.

Killian was obviously in a similar state. He nearly sat down with the Stallions until David cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows questioningly. Killian flushed and muttered an apology before clambering over to his own clan.

This was the day that they would be taking the preteens on an out-trip, a small overnight hike into the Enchanted Forest where the boys would stay in one big tent and the girls in another with their councilors. Killian, having never been on one before, was nervous at the prospect of having to look after 8 boys in a tent for a night, but Henry had reassured him that with Archie's help, everything would be fine.

He went over the brief packing list with the Crocodiles at his table and he saw other councilors doing the same thing. Henry piped up and asked him to bring his guitar to play music at the campfire. As much as he didn't want to carry yet another thing on the hike, he agreed, unable to deny the boy his wish.

At the end of lunch, everyone went to retrieve their backpacks before meeting with the clan they were accompanying on the field. He hesitantly made his way over to Emma, who raised her eyebrows in disbelief when she saw the guitar slung across his shoulder. Killian gave her a small wink before turning his attention to the mass of campers looking at him expectantly, ready to start their adventure. And Killian would be lying if he said he didn't catch a glimpse of Emma's flustered glare out of the corner of his eye as she turned to face them as well.

"... and that's it! Just stay behind the councilors who are leading and stay in front of the ones bringing up the rear," Emma explained to the kids at the mouth of the forest. She had gone over a few major rules for the outing and now they were itching to go. She waved Elsa on, indicating that she could take the lead and start the hike.

"I've got the back!" she called up to her, letting the Crocodiles and Swans stream past her.

"As do I," Killian notified Archie, allowing him to enter the forest. Emma did her best not to roll her eyes.

The hike was not a rigorous one, and they sang songs and played games along the way. They made plenty of stops, inspecting various mushrooms and strange looking trees. They took water breaks and munched on Granny's special trail mix (although Emma wasn't sure what was so special about it other than the fact that the ratio of Smarties to nuts was extremely close).

Henry had fallen back to hike with Emma and Killian and jumped swiftly over the roots protruding on the path. A few meters up and around the corner from where Emma and Killian were slowly making their way down the path, Henry spotted an eagle perched high in a tree.

"You guys!" he cried as quietly as possible, not wanting to scare the bird away. "It's an eagle! Come quick!"  
Emma craned her neck to try and see it and jogged lightly to where Henry's voice sounded. With her eyes searching the trees, she didn't see her foot land directly behind a root and the next thing she knew, the ground was flying up at her.

Bracing herself for the impact, she was surprised when it never came. Instead, a strong pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist and shoulders and brought her gently back up. She gripped the muscular biceps to further stabilize herself. When she regained her balance, her mind caught up with her and she realized how Killian saving her from falling had brought them into extremely close proximity of each other. He didn't want to let go until he was certain she was stable, and she would _never_ admit how good the familiarity of his arms felt.

"You alright there, Swan?" he asked, loosening his grip ever so slightly. Emma nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment.

"What's taking you guys so long? The eagle flew... oh!" Henry rounded the corner and stopped in his tracks at the scene before him. "I'll.. uh.. you.." he flustered.

Emma shoved Killian away, putting as much distance as possible between them. "We weren't... um..."

"Emma tripped, lad, over that root and lost her balance. I caught her before she fell and was merely helping her regain her stability," Killian pulled off effortlessly.

"Okay," Henry said with a smirk, as if that didn't validate their intimate position. "Well, come on!" He took off down the path once more, leaving Emma and Killian to follow him, looking anywhere but each other.

For dinner, they had sandwiches and guzzled on their water. They played a few games of camouflage and tag in the forest before packing up their bags once again and continuing their trek. As they wove their way through the forest, Killian pulled out a long piece of thin rope and began to make knots to pass the time. Emma was mesmerized by the way his fingers flew across it with ease. She wondered if he missed his days in the navy academy.

"What's that one called?" she asked him softly as they hiked. It was the fourth or fifth knot he'd made. Killian snapped his head up, surprised that she had noticed what he was working on.

"It's, um," he began, unsure of himself all of a sudden. "It's called a monkey fist knot." He handed her the ball of rope and she twirled it gently in her hands, admiring his work. She gave him a smile of encouragement and handed it back.

"What's it used for?" she wondered, interested in discovering yet another layer of the man beside her.

"It's mainly used for decoration or as a weight to throw a rope more easily," he explained with a far away look in his eye. "My brother taught me how to do it."

The pair slowly plodded down the path silently as the birds chirped in the trees around them. They could hear the voices of the kids wafting through the air from a short distance in front of them, but made no sudden effort to catch up just yet. It was a nice, quiet moment between them; something that was all too rare during the week when they were busy.

"Do you miss him?" Emma softly broke the peaceful silence. Killian looked up at her, his face suddenly raw with emotion. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about..."

"No, it's alright, Swan." His voice was tight. "It was a long time ago," he spoke into the ground. "His name was Liam. He was everything to me. My mother died when I was quite young and our father abandoned us shortly after, so Liam brought me up as best he could. He gave up his whole future and enrolled in the navy so that I could join him one day and be brought up somewhere other than streets. Not only was he my big brother, he was my hero." As he tried to go on, he felt his voice lodge in his throat. Killian glanced at Emma and saw nothing but compassion and patience. He took a deep breath before finishing his story. "When I was 17, I got the news that he had died in battle and I moved here as soon as possible after that. I ran away from ever having to face what had happened. I was trying to believe it hadn't." He hung his head as the memories of the pain washed over him, and they slowed to a stop.

"Hey," she whispered soothingly as she placed her hand tenderly on his arm. His haunted eyes met hers and slowly, the fight seemed to drain out of them, washing away the pain. "Tha.."

"Emma?" a voice shot out. "Killian?" A boy raced towards them, oblivious to the heavy moment he'd just shattered. "Elsa sent me to find you guys, she said something about a... actually I forget. She just wanted me to get you." Emma gave Killian a quick, torn look before turning back to the boy, placing a smile on her face.

"Alright, then!" she said to the kid who looked eager to get back to his friends. "Let's go." With their conversation still up in the air, Killian and Emma meandered down the path to meet up with the group.

The campfire on the out-trip was one of Emma's favourite times of the week. It was a time where the kids had settled down enough that Emma could really enjoy herself without playing the babysitter. The dim lighting and warmth from the fire provided a cozy atmosphere that lulled them into a sense of peace and safety deep within the forest.

Killian captured everyone's attention with his riveting ghost stories, the accent and dropping of his voice making them twice as eerie. He also brought out his guitar to teach them some camp songs.

Seeing him from across the fire, Emma had to admit that he was an amazing addition to the Camp Storybrooke team and that they'd be crazy not to offer him a permanent position. If he found somewhere to stay in town, where most of the councilors lived during the year, he'd be close enough to come up if needed. _Maybe he could come visit during the spring and winter breaks. Or maybe even on weekends._ Emma shook those thoughts from her head. It wasn't like she was planning on seeing him other than for work, so she didn't care how close he lived. _It would be nice for Henry to see him. Yeah, for Henry._

As Elsa told a story of her own, Killian took a moment to look around the campfire. He saw the light in each of the kids' eyes and was glad that he could contribute to providing them with this special, happy moment he knew they were too young to fully appreciate. Killian appreciated it though.

He eventually let his gaze fall on Emma. The dancing flames caused her hair to flicker between shades of blonde and the flecks of gold in her eyes to shimmer to the surface. He could tell that she was caught in the moment of the campfire as well.

Slowly, her eyes wandered around the circle before resting on his. Usually, they had many silent conversations when their eyes locked, always trying to read the other person and decipher what was hidden deep beneath the surface, but this one was different. Neither Killian nor Emma were thinking too hard and allowed themselves to simply be wrapped up in each others' gaze. They weren't looking for answers or thinking of consequences, and they weren't too proud to let the other one in on this tranquil moment.

The fire died down as a yawn made its way around the circle of exhausted campers. Emma looked at Elsa, who nodded, before announcing that it was time to get a good night's rest. She told the Swans to go to their tent and get ready, assuring them that her and Elsa would join them shortly. Archie and Killian sent their clan ahead as well. The four councilors, tired after a long day of hiking with the kids, sat around the fire for a little while longer.

"Archie," Elsa suddenly spoke. "Do you think you could come help me with... um... something?"

"Sure," Archie replied, always happy to lend a hand. "What do you need help..."

Without letting him finish, Elsa left the fire pit area and headed through the trees, but not before Emma caught the smirk spreading itself across Elsa's face. Emma felt the heat rise on her cheeks as she realized her and Killian would be alone in a moment. _Well, that was subtle._ Emma was going to kill her one day.

Killian and Emma watched Archie disappear after Elsa before turning back towards the fire. Seeing as they were on opposite sides of the circle, the space between them was almost pleading to be taken care of. Then, Emma remembered the conversation she had had with Killian on their hike that had never truly been resolved. Cautiously, Emma stood up and went and sat down beside Killian, who kept his eyes focused on the flames. She could feel a warmth make its way through her, and it wasn't just from the fire.

"Thank you for telling me about your brother," she said as they stared into the flames together. "He seemed like a good man."

"Aye," Killian agreed softly. "I strive everyday to be better, to be like him."

Emma knew how hard it was for him to be vulnerable, and to trust her enough to let her in on this part of his life he kept so well hidden. While she was deeply touched, she found herself unsurprised by the level of caring that had managed to come between them. With each of them revealing things about themselves, it made it less scary to tell the other person. This was when Emma usually ran, so why wasn't she running? In fact, why did it feel like she was doing the opposite?

She felt Killian look up at her, and she fixed her eyes on his. An overwhelming sense of déjà vu washed over her when she realized how close they had gotten. Unsure of how long had passed, she noticed him faintly leaning in, and for some reason, she wasn't backing up. She heard his breath hitch, his face just centimeters from hers and all coherent thoughts flew out of her head. Her eyes fluttered shut and she let herself lean...

 _Snap!_ A twig broke behind them and they jumped to their feet, torn out of something neither of them would bring up any time soon. A second later, a small girl appeared and informed Emma that she had forgotten her sleeping bag.

"Okay, I'll come see what I can do," she replied at lightning speed, her heart still pounding out of her chest. She gave Killian a fleeting smile before taking off through the trees. She could hardly control her feet that wanted to sprint all the way back to her tent that was plenty far away from the boys.

Emma entered the tent and closed the zipper behind her. She closed her eyes and breathed heavily for a second before acknowledging the company she was in. When she opened her eyes, she found 8 pairs staring back at her. She spotted Elsa pretending to sleep in the corner. Emma opened her mouth to tell them to get some sleep when...

"Are you and Killian dating?"

"How long have you guys been together?"

"Have you guys kissed?"

"Are you married?"

Emma wished she could just crawl into her sleeping bag and try not to think about what had just happened, but clearly her campers had other ideas. They continued to bombard her with questions about Killian, no matter how many times Emma denied everything. Boy, was she going to _kill_ Elsa.


	5. Chapter 5

The following morning, the four councilors helped their groups pack up the tents and they all met at the campfire pit. Occupied with the children, Emma and Killian managed to avoid each other for the rest of the morning and the hike back, seeing as neither one of them was ready to bring up the prior day's events.

When they arrived back at the camp, they all headed to the hall for breakfast. At this time, Emma met up with all the councilors to ensure every camper had made it back safely. After breakfast, the kids had some free time to unpack, clean up their cabins and take a quick shower if need be.

"Emma!"

She heard her named called out from behind her after the kids had been dismissed and she turned around to see Killian making his way over. Nervous to speak with him, she braced herself for any sort of confrontation he may begin.

"Hey," he started with a big smile on his face, an infectious one that caused a grin to appear on Emma's face as well. As much as last night had scared the crap out of her, and as much as she told herself to keep him at arm's distance, she couldn't help herself from feeling drawn to the dark-haired man before her. "Everyone make it back okay?"

"Yep," she replied, glad he didn't appear to be heading towards a conversation she was definitely not ready to have with him.

"Good. Look, I was wondering if I could..uh" Killian stumbled a bit on his words. "I hoped that maybe I could get some fresh clothes from my bags in your place and maybe shower there as well."

"Oh! Yeah, of course," Emma responded. She knew that the hot water ran out in the camper cabins pretty quickly and she planned to take a shower later in the day anyway.

"Thanks. Also, how do I get into your place? Would you need to unlock it at some point or...?" Killian scratched behind his ear and Emma noticed that he looked almost embarrassed to ask for her assistance, as if he didn't want to ask too much of her when she was already helping him. But Emma felt the same way she had when she'd offered to keep his stuff. She _wanted_ to help him. She would be there for him, as he was for her. Because she was his friend. Yeah. They were friends.

"There's a spare key under the doormat," Emma informed him quietly. "And the shower is down the hallway to the right of the door."

"Thanks," he said once more as he nodded, his voice suddenly huskier. "You're welcome to join me in there, if you like." He let his words roll of his tongue before giving her a wink and walking away, leaving Emma hot and flustered. She really didn't need images of a wet Killian playing through her head.

She tried to shake them from her mind as she sought out Mary Margaret. The pair had planned on spending their allotted afternoon of the week off together and Emma wanted to make sure it was still happening. After a brief discussion, they agreed to meet at the lake in 15 minutes and go for a canoe ride, which gave each of the two enough time to go put their bags away before hand.

As Emma stomped towards the Swan cabin, she thought that maybe she should pick up some fresh clothes for the next few weeks as well. She redirected her route to pass by her house, planning on grabbing some extra t-shirts and a few pairs of jeans.

Entering her place, Emma hoped Killian would be in the shower already (she was still a bit jumpy after the out trip), but when she walked inside, she spotted him sitting on the couch next to his bags. Only he wasn't looking for clothes, he was reading something on the coffee table.

"Hey," Emma said as she joined him in the living room. "What are you..?"

Killian tore his head up from the papers and looked at Emma with wide eyes. She stole a glance at the papers in his hands and turned a brilliant shade of red.

"Oh. Uh, that. Yeah.. See, I was," Emma sputtered. "Well, I was thinking maybe.."

"I think it's a bloody fantastic idea," he assured her enthusiastically, standing up to hand the folder back to her.

"Really?"

In his hands, Killian held a file filled with papers from the adoption agency, all completely filled out by Emma. She was planning on adopting Henry. The forms had been signed at the beginning of the summer, but Emma had had them sitting in her place for weeks.

"Yeah," he replied. Killian saw Emma shift her weight uncertainly, crossing her arms and averting her gaze. Why was she so nervous about this?. "Why haven't you sent them in?" he asked softly.

"What if he doesn't want to be adopted?" she said after what felt like an eternity. Emma's voice sounded so small, Killian yearned to reach out and comfort her, but he knew better than to push her.

"Emma," he began. "That boy loves you so much, and all he craves is to be wanted and loved in return. Although I've only known the boy a few weeks, I know you are the most special thing in his life, and I'm certain he would adore living with you permanently." Emma gave him a weary smile before it slowly drained from her face.

"I'm just worried that he won't want to. What if he still wishes for his real parents, you know? Or maybe he wants to know why they gave him up, or how they could possibly leave him to venture into a great big world all by himself. Maybe he wants to know why they didn't love him enough to keep him." The lost, faraway look in Emma's eye led Killian to believe that perhaps she was no longer only talking about Henry.

"But Emma, _you_ love him. He's gained so much thanks to you and you've provided him with a life he never could have imagined. I'm sure it would mean the world to him if you two were to become a family."  
Emma's head snapped up at his final word. _Family._ A concept all too foreign to Emma, yet something she had always desired. Something that had without fail had fallen through her fingertips every time she thought she could be happy. But maybe with Henry...

"You really think so?"

"Aye."

She took the folder from him and clutched it to her chest. Giving Killian a modest grin, she ducked out of the living room to put the papers in her room. Emma took a few deep breaths to steady herself. Maybe she would ask Henry the following day.

Mary Margaret glanced down to check her watch. _What is taking her so long?_ Just as she peered up the path for the umpteenth time, she spied Emma clambering down it. The brunette greeted the blonde with a hug before they set off in a canoe. They sat it silence, enjoying the beautiful afternoon and each others' company. But when Mary Margaret glanced at Emma out of the corner of her eye for the fifth time in a minute, Emma had had enough.

"What?" Emma snapped, slightly irritated by her friend's mysterious behaviour.

"What?" Mary Margaret responded innocently, though the smug smile was still tugging on the corner of her mouth.

"That look you've been giving me since we met up. What's with that?"

"What look?"

Emma glared at Mary Margaret before picking up a water bottle from the bottom of the canoe and opening it. She took a sip, forcing Mary Margaret to fill the silence with an answer. Emma heard her take a deep breath before responding.

"How are things with Killian?"

Emma nearly choked on the water she'd been drinking. "Mary Margaret!" she shrieked. "There is _nothing_ going on there."

The brunette raised her eyebrows in disbelief, but was unsurprised at her friend's denial. She simply hummed briefly and focused on paddling aimlessly.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Emma demanded, knowing her best friend said a lot by saying nothing. Mary Margaret stilled her oar and looked directly at Emma.

"Well, for two people who spend basically all their time together, smile in each others' company and stare at each other _all_ the time, you.."

"We don't stare," Emma denied at once. Furious that Mary Margaret could even think something was between them, Emma stared out into the water. There wasn't anything between them. Nothing. _Was there?_ No. They were friends.

"It's okay for you to like Killian, you know. He's very handsome, charming, good with Henry, why wouldn't you like him?"

"Because I don't," Emma responded a little too quickly. But she felt her resolve weakening around Mary Margaret, who had gone silent, giving Emma the space she needed. "I mean, so what if we've almost kissed like, three times. That doesn't mean we're together or anything."

"You what?!" Mary Margaret shrieked, completely taken off guard by Emma's news.

"It doesn't matter anyway," Emma explained abruptly, "because we didn't and now it's like it didn't even happen." A charged silence came between them at Emma's shortness. Mary Margaret studied her friend and knew better than most how to recognize whatever emotion Emma was hiding.

"But maybe you wanted it to happen?" Mary Margaret pressed hesitantly. Emma did her best to avoid her best friend's gaze. Did she want it to happen? _Of course I didn't... Did I?_ Knowing Mary Margaret would see right through any lies, Emma continued to stare off into the distance and simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Emma, I know you're afraid of getting hurt, and it's been a long time since you've trusted someone with your heart, but what if Killian is worth the risk? I've never seen you like this with anyone."

Emma didn't speak for a while as she let Mary Margaret's words mill around in her brain. Yes, she liked Killian, but as a friend. His friendship, however fast it may have developed, was already so important to her, and she didn't want to screw it up. Emma didn't _do_ relationships. So why was it that every time she was around him, the walls she'd spent years building around her heart seemed stop working? How did this man just turn up in her life and flip it all upside down? She wasn't ready to acknowledge the feelings he had awoken within her, and maybe she never would be.

"Can we talk about something else, please?" Emma pleaded, more vulnerable than Mary Margaret had seen her in a long time.

"Sure," Mary Margaret agreed. Emma's thoughts of Killian were soon swept away by her friend's vibrant storytelling and Emma enjoyed the rest of their afternoon, relaxing in the sun.

The following morning, the campers' excitement was through the roof. It was the day of the big dance, and the amount of sugary syrup consumed with the pancakes only raised the level of energy. The clans at each table were all talking animatedly, discussing who would ask who to the dance and what they would be wearing.

When Emma arrived in the kitchens to pour her clan members some juice, she saw Killian already in line before her. He turned around and immediately noticed the large tray of glasses in her hands.

"Looks like someone's _thirsty_ ," he uttered as he quirked his eyebrow, making sure only she would hear it. Emma rolled her eyes, definitely not answering to _that._

"Very mature, Jones," Emma replied flatly. Killian grinned at her blatant annoyance and turned back around as it was his turn to at the juice station.

"So," he began. "Any plans for this evening?" He picked up a pitcher and started pouring.

"Oh, I don't know. There's always paperwork to be done."

"But Swan, we never did get our dance," Killian reminded her with a quick glance before turning back to pour one more glass for his table. Emma was thankful he had turned back around because she couldn't help the blush tinting her cheeks as she remembered that night. She truly had had fun for a while, and now that she'd gone to one dance, she knew that she could probably face another with more success. Emma knew what to expect and as much as she would never admit it to herself, having Killian beside her had calmed her down considerably.

"Well, I _might_ be able to make an appearance then," Emma declared smoothly, suddenly overtaken by a bout of courage and giddiness. Maybe, just this once, she could allow herself to have a fun night... _with Killian._ She really was going to have to do something about that dumb voice in her head.

Killian moved aside and gave Emma her turn at the station, a surprised but pleased look on his face.

"Great!" he said delightedly. "I'll be waiting." With that, he took off back to the hall, leaving Emma to wonder what had gotten into her.

She had said she'd show up at the dance.

To dance. With Killian. _Crap!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Maybe I should write a speech or something. No.. it needs to be genuine. But what do I say?_ It was the teenagers' free time before dinner, and Emma was debating whether or not to talk to Henry about an adoption. She had been racking her brain to no avail as to what to say to him or how to ask him. Sitting at a picnic table outside the eating hall, Emma held her head between her hands and took a deep breath. _Why is this so hard? Maybe I should just ask him tomorrow..._

"Everything alright there, Swan?"

Emma picked her head up to see Killian with a concerned look on his face. He sat down across from her and appeared to be truly concerned as to what was bothering her.

"I'm not sure what to do about asking Henry." She exhaled slowly, her mind still racing with possible outcomes of asking the kid to be her son. She was fairly sure he would say yes, but it was hard for her to let herself be vulnerable like that. In Emma's experience, nothing good had ever come from setting herself up for great joy, because it usually ended in her disappointment.

"You have _nothing_ to worry about, lo- Emma," Killian caught himself. "As a matter of fact, the lad is down by the lake. Why don't you ask him now?"

"Now!?" Emma was shocked by his suggestion. She still had to plan and think and practice and...

"You can do this." The sincerity in his voice brought Emma back to reality. How did he have so much faith in her? Emma inhaled deeply, trying to calm her nerves and process the fact that she was _actually_ going to do this.

"Okay," she breathed quietly. When she finally got up, she just couldn't seem to take the first step.

Sensing her hesitance, Killian chuckled softly. "Come on, Swan. I'll walk you down." Emma met his gaze and a little bit of her fear seemed to evaporate.

The pair made their way across the field and down the path towards the lake. Emma spotted Henry sitting on a log facing the water, drawing in a brown sketch book. With a small smile of encouragement from Killian, she took a few paces towards the boy. All of a sudden, she stopped in her tracks, whirled around and raced back to Killian.

"I can't go through with it," she whispers as they stood just within the trees before the beach. "I'm going to be sick."

"Emma." Killian's voice was calm. He reached out and tenderly tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "You're going to be fine. He'd be crazy not to want to spend more time with you." Emma was too distracted to catch the double meaning behind his words. She swallowed nervously before nodding slightly and turning back around.

Slowly, Emma made her way over to the log and took a seat next to Henry. He looked up at her briefly before returning his attention back to his drawing.

"Hey, Emma," he said cheerily without tearing his eyes from the paper.

"Hey, kid," she responded, but something in her voice must have sounded off because Henry put his pencil down and faced her once more.

"Is everything okay?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, I just.. um. Can we talk for a second?" Henry nodded and put his sketch book and pencil beside him on the log. "We have a fun time together, don't we?" she started.

"Definitely," he smiled, pulling a smile from Emma as well.

"And it kind of sucks that we only get to see each other during breaks, right?" Emma continued, hoping she wouldn't make this conversation too much of a mess.

"Yeah."

"Well, do you like going back in September?"

Henry dropped his head and stared at his hands in his lap. They never really talked about his life in the orphanage, but Emma knew it was less than a stellar arrangement.

"Not really. But I don't have anywhere else to go."

"How would you like to live with me? Permanently, I mean." There. She'd put it up in the air. "I have all the adoption papers signed, but I thought it should be your decision. I'd understand though, if you don't want to be adopted, I just..."

"So, you would be my mom?" Henry asked, a smile beginning to creep onto his face. Emma's heart jump-started at the sight and she felt hope simmer through her.

"It's your decision."

Henry took all of a second before breaking into a huge grin.

"That sounds like the best idea ever!" He crashed into Emma with a bone-crushing hug and didn't let go for a full minute. She held on to him just as tight, unable to believe what had just happened. She and him were going to be a _family_.

"We can sort it all out tomorrow, okay? We'll need to go into town, but maybe we can get some ice cream," she said as they finally broke apart.

"Okay. Can I go tell my friends what just happened?" The kid was so excited he could hardly sit still.

"Sure," Emma replied. With another quick hug, Henry grabbed his book and ran towards the path, nearly barreling into Killian who was making his way into the clearing.

"Bye, Mom!" Henry yelled as he disappeared into the forest.

Emma laughed and grinned at Killian, who could easily tell how the conversation had gone. He laughed as well before heading over to where Emma had stood up.

"I presume that means it went well?"

Emma was so elated that she was not in the mood to care about why she was running towards Killian and throwing herself into a hug. He stumbled back a bit by the force, but regained his footing and wrapped his arms tightly around Emma's waist. They swayed slowly to a stop before pulling back just far enough to talk, their bodies still pressed together.

"Thank you," Emma whispered between them. Her hands were ghosting Killian's neck, sending chills down his spine.

"That was all you, love," he replied sincerely, his heart skipping a beat when she didn't object to his little term of endearment.

She stared into his eyes and wondered yet again how they could be so damn _blue_. And his lips looked so.. _Why am I looking at his lips? Maybe because..._

DING! DING! DING!

In the distance, someone was sounding the bell for dinner. Killian and Emma sprung away from each other and redirected their gaze up the path towards the dining hall.

"After you." Killian indicated the path with a sweep of his hand. Emma was glad to go first as she could hide the blush residing on her face. She still felt as if Killian's hands were resting on her waist. If this happened after one hug, she was sure as hell screwed for the dance.

At dinner, Emma and Henry sat together at the staff table and talked all about starting their new life together. Henry asked her a million questions, and never did the grin waver from his face. Throughout the meal, different councilors made their way over to the table to congratulate them on the good news. Mary Margaret started crying and David was beyond excited to have Henry around Camp Storybrooke permanently.

"You'll keep her out of trouble, yeah?" David teased, earning a laugh out of Henry. Emma ruffled the boy's hair and answered more questions from her friends. After everyone had come around, Emma and Henry were able to eat in peace and the hype died down for a moment.

"You coming to the dance tonight, Mom?" Henry asked, testing out the new word. Emma laughed and poked around at her food.

"I'm not quite sure yet," Emma replied honestly.

"Hmm," Henry mused. "I bet Killian would like it better if you were there," he added before getting up for a third round of pasta. Emma's stomach flipped at his statement. What was he doing thinking things like that?

In his absence, Emma took the moment to look for her clan's table where Elsa was sitting. Taking out a pen, she grabbed a napkin, scrawled something on it, folded it and stuffed it in her pocket. Before she lost all her confidence, she headed over to Elsa and handed her the note, telling her to open it after dinner. Her friend gave her a suspicious look, but agreed anyway. With that, Emma went back to her table and said a quick goodbye to Henry before making her way up to her- _their_ house.

"A note, Emma? Really?"

"What?" came a muffled voice from deep in the closet. A pair of jeans flew out of the door followed by two shirts and finally Emma. Elsa was perched on Emma's bed, watching her dig through her entire wardrobe.

"If you wanted help picking something out for the dance, you could of just asked, you know," Elsa said simply, but she knew Emma would never directly ask for help with something like this. Emma didn't reply as she sifted through the drawers in her dresser. She pulled out a few options and threw them on the bed where Elsa went through them. "And why the sudden interest in going to the dance?" she continued. "I mean, you're actually dressing up."

"It's not a big deal," Emma countered, not wanting her friend to keep this conversation up.

"Not a big deal? Uh, you _hate_ these and now you're making an effort to go?" Elsa's eyes challenged Emma's. Emma felt way too vulnerable under her friend's scrutiny and turned her focus back to the small pile of shoes in her closet. She was acutely aware of the blush tinting her cheeks and hoped Elsa wouldn't notice.

"Oh my god," Elsa whispered. "Oh my god!" she repeated a little louder. "This has something to do with a certain dark-haired, blue-eyed man, doesn't it?!"

"What? No!" Emma denied at once. "It's so I can spy on Henry or embarrass him or whatever moms are supposed to do."

"Oh, come _on_ , Emma!" Elsa's excitement increased by ten-fold as she watched her friend turn redder.

"Whatever," Emma mumbled as she headed back into the closet, hearing Elsa squeal behind her.

In the end, they settled on a navy blue skirt which Elsa assured Emma was definitely modest enough ("You're not even close to what Ruby wears.") and a nice tank top. The shirt may have had a tad of a low cut, but she wouldn't get in any trouble for it. She finished off the outfit with a pair of the nicest flats she could find and she let her hair tumble down over her shoulders.

"You look amazing, Emma," Elsa said in awe. "Now I've got to run and get ready. Have fun tonight!"

"Thanks," Emma replied. "And thank you for your help."

"It was no problem. I'll talk to you tomorrow?" Emma nodded and bid her friend goodbye. With a half hour before the dance, all that was left to do was wait.

"Really, Killian? Lose the tie." Before the dance, the Crocodiles were gathered in their cabin to get ready, and Henry and Killian were evaluating each others' outfits.

"Quite right, lad. The tie may be a tad formal." He yanked the thing off his neck and loosened the collar, undoing yet another button on his shirt. "Much better. So, remember the deal we made last week?" he said, turning to face the boy. "Find anyone you wanted to ask?" Henry blushed at the mention of their deal, which he hadn't quite upheld.

"Can I have one more week?" he asked sheepishly. Killian chuckled and agreed to give him more time. Henry peered up at Killian, who was now fussing over his outfit and even his hair, which he'd payed a bit more attention to for this week's dance.

"What?" Killian felt slightly uneasy under Henry's stare.

"You're trying to impress Emma, aren't you?" Henry stated with a smug grin. Killian's scoff contradicted the blush on his cheeks.

"You are one cheeky lad," he mumbled. "What makes you think that?"

"I can just tell. I may be twelve, but I'm not blind." Henry went back to tugging at his clothes and tying is shoes. "Besides, just having you around makes Emma happier, so don't worry too much about what you're wearing." With that, Henry gave Killian a pat on the shoulder and walked out of the cabin to make his way to the dance, leaving Killian speechless behind him.

Emma stood outside the doors to the dance with her hand on the door handle. Although she was extremely nervous, she couldn't help but feel giddy and excited for the night. Taking a deep breath, she entered the room, stumbling upon a party already in full swing. She spotted David the "DJ" and rolled her eyes at the ridiculous sunglasses he was wearing. She also saw Robin from the Fox clan hanging around the punch table where Regina was taking a shift pouring drinks. Although the pair had had a rocky start, Emma was glad they had managed to work things out and had been a couple for nearly 3 years.

Emma was grateful that the room was filled to the brim with young teenagers and councilors, for no one had really noticed her enter yet. It gave her time to take in her surroundings and calm herself down a bit before striking up a conversation with anyone. She let herself scan the room, definitely _not_ looking for someone in particular and she certainly _wasn't_ hoping he would show up soon and greet her with that grin of his. However, her search was cut short when Mary Margaret caught her eye and strode over to where Emma had positioned herself against the wall.

"Emma," her friend said in awe. "You look beautiful!" Mary Margaret had known Emma longer than anyone else, and although Emma would never admit it, it was a rare thing for the blonde to allow herself to dress up.

"Thanks," Emma replied shyly. As if against her will, Emma's eyes diverted from Mary Margaret's and did another round of the room. She did her best to ignore the disappointment that lodged itself in her stomach when she didn't see a mop of raven hair within the crowd. When she turned her attention back to Mary Margaret, it was obvious her best friend had asked her something, and Emma had absolutely no idea what to respond.

"Sorry, what?" Emma asked distractedly. The petite woman laughed as Emma's mind was obviously elsewhere.

"Oh nothing," Mary Margaret conceded.

"I'm sorry," Emma said sincerely, finally giving her friend her full attention. "I guess I'm just a bit jumpy," she added with a breathy, nervous laugh.

"It's alright," Mary Margaret said with a smile. "I was just wondering if maybe you were looking for someone in particular." The way Mary Margaret's eyes twinkled led Emma to believe she knew _exactly_ who Emma was looking for, but she was going to make her say it anyway.

"Have you, um.. Have you seen Killian?" Emma asked, scanning the room to avoid the knowing grin in front of her. Mary Margaret's kind eyes met Emma's gaze once more, glad her friend finally appeared to be going after her happiness.

"The last time I saw him, he was near the back wall."

Both Emma and Mary Margaret shifted along the wall to get a better view of the back. Craning their necks, they searched above the crowd until Emma's eyes finally settled on...

"Oh," Emma said inaudibly. In the back corner, her eyes were met with the sight of Killian and Ruby dancing closely together. Unable to tear her eyes away from the scene across the room, she watched as Killian leaned in close to Ruby and whispered something into her ear with a smile. Then, Ruby excitedly grabbed his hand and they snuck out the back door. She felt something twist deep in her gut and all of a sudden, Emma wanted nothing more than to race out of there as fast as possible, but she stood rooted to the spot. Mary Margaret had seem Emma freeze and had followed her gaze to the corner, witnessing the whole thing as well.

Emma looked down at the floor and felt tears gather behind her eyes. She sensed Mary Margaret's eyes on her and raised her head to see a small frown on her friend's face.

"Emma..." Mary Margaret began softly.

"I'm actually going to go."

"Emma, I'm sure it was nothing."

"Did it look like nothing to you?" Emma's voice was raw and she _hated_ it.

"Well..." If Mary Margaret was honest, it looked like a hell of a lot more than nothing.

Emma's eyes were burning. She felt so _stupid_.

"You know what? I didn't really want to come anyway. I'm going to turn in." Emma tried to keep her voice as steady as possible and not let her mind wander to the sight of Killian and Ruby sneaking out of the dance to do _god knows_ what.

"Emma." Mary Margaret's tone was sharper than Emma was used to hearing, and was basically telling her to cut the crap.

"I honestly don't care, Mary Margaret," Emma said, her tone defeated. "He can do whatever he wants, we're friends."

"Are you sure you feel like just friends?" Mary Margaret spoke the words that had haunted Emma all day, and just when she had thought that _maybe_...

"I'm fine," Emma said. A traitorous tear fell down her cheek and she averted her eyes from Mary Margaret. She couldn't help the pain that was making its way into her voice. "Please don't tell him I was here."

With that, Emma fled the lively warehouse and ran up to her home in the woods. She managed to hold her tears until she shut the door behind her, then she let them fall freely. Storming into her bathroom, Emma began angrily scrubbing away at her makeup.

 _Why did I think...? How could I let myself...? This is exactly why I never... God, get a grip, Emma! You are 29 years old and you don't need to cry over some little crush._

But if her tears were any indication, this was much more than a little crush.


	7. Chapter 7

When Mary Margaret knocked on her door, Emma was already up and bustling, and had been since 6:30 that morning. She had had a terrible sleep and when she'd finally woken up, images of the prior night flashed behind her drooping eyelids, hence her morning craze of keeping busy to keep the images at bay. Not that she cared or anything. He could do whatever he wanted.

"Are you sure you're okay? You're actually cleaning and awake before 8:00," Mary Margaret teased from where she leaned against the kitchen counter, waiting for her friend to finish up.

"Of course, I'm fine." Emma brushed off Mary Margaret's concern while scrubbing furiously at a plate in the sink. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well," Mary Margaret eased. "Last night at the dance, with Killian..."

"I said I'm fine," Emma snapped harshly. She glanced over at her friend whose eyes had blown wide with shock at Emma's outburst. "I'm sorry," she said as she grabbed a mug to clean. "I just... okay. So maybe I was a little upset last night, but I don't know what got into me. It's not like we're dating or anything, and he has every right to hang out with anyone he wants. I know what you're going to say: but what about your happiness, Emma? Well I am happy. I'm adopting Henry today. I don't need a man to be happy, and _certainly_ not Killian."

"I'm not saying you do, but Killian makes you happy, I can see it," Mary Margaret said cautiously. "If you have developed feelings for him, would that be such a bad thing?" Emma's hands stilled in the sink and she kept her eyes down.

"Yes," she replied after a moment, and started scrubbing again, "because _obviously_ those feelings aren't – _wouldn't_ be returned." Emma took a deep breath and tried to let it out slowly. "Let's just go." She quickly dried her hands on a towel before hastily grabbing her purse and Henry's papers. Without another word to Mary Margaret, she opened the door and went out, not even waiting for her friend to follow.

As Emma yanked open the glass door to the dining hall, she spotted Henry eating breakfast with Killian. She saw the young boy stare up at Killian with rapt attention, listening to some tall tale the Irish man was whipping up just for him. Emma's heart clenched, but she was unsure as to which sight was the cause. Taking a deep breath, Emma strode over to their table, slowing just before she arrived. She internally cursed her hesitance. Why was this so hard? She _didn't care_.

"Hey, kid! You ready to go?" Emma asked, looking directly at Henry. Apparently, ignoring Killian completely was the plan of action at the moment.

"Yeah! I'll go grab my backpack."

"Great," Emma replied and turned to follow him.

"Swan!" She heard a chair scrape behind her, indicating Killian had gotten up from his seat. Reluctantly, she turned around. "Good morning," he said with a grin as bright as the rising sun. It made Emma's stomach churn.

"Morning," she answered tightly before turning back around to leave.

"Hey, wait!" he called, and Emma really had no choice but to face him once again. She would just have to hope Henry came back quick. "Where were you last night?" Killian asked, his tone laced with what appeared to be disappointment. No, it couldn't have been.

"Oh, um, I wasn't feeling that well," Emma replied shortly as she continued to avert her eyes from his.

"Are you feeling better this morning?"

"Yep." Emma peered out the window and saw Henry coming back from his cabin, the closest to the dining hall. She grabbed her car keys out of her pocket and made to go meet Henry.

"Emma!" Killian took a few quick paces to catch up with her. "Where are you going?"

"Into town to complete the adoption." Emma kept her focus strained forward as she made her way towards the door.

"Oh! Well, do you fancy another passenger?" Emma could hear the way his lips were tilted in a playful smirk and she just _couldn't_ bring herself to look at him.

"Uh, no, it's okay," she said. Without another word to the man behind her, Emma met Henry outside the hall and got into her car.

"I'll just stay here by myself then," Killian mumbled, confused and slightly hurt as he watched the two of them drive away.

"Alright, you get to pick the tunes this time," Emma said as they rolled onto the highway. Henry got to ride in the passenger's seat for the first time in a while, seeing as it was usually reserved for a certain dark-haired man. Henry peered over his shoulder for a long moment, as if hoping Killian would appear and demand for his spot in shotgun ("It's only fair, lad. I am older." "Yeah, come on, Henry. Let grandpa over here ride shotgun. Remember to respect your elders." "Oh I can assure you Swan, I am anything but an old man."). "Hey," Emma said, causing Henry to face the front once again. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Henry replied quietly. A moment passed as Henry watched the thick forest roll by beside the road. "Why isn't Killian coming? He always hangs out with us."

"Killian's actually too busy this weekend to come with us today."

"Oh." Henry replied, and glared out the window. ("Killian, do you think we could check out that new trail this weekend? I mean, if you have time?" "Of course, Henry. I have no other plans for the weekend, so any time you want, lad!"). "That's too bad," Henry mumbled.

It was late when Emma and Henry arrived back at Camp Storybrooke, and the councilors had all turned in for the night. Emma parked her car in the staff parking lot and nudged Henry awake. After a long day, the boy was exhausted. However, when he realized they had made it home, he jolted to his senses. They got out of the car and after giving Emma a long hug, Henry grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

"Can I go tell Killian everything?" he asked excitedly, bouncing on his feet and waiting for Emma's indication he could go.

"That sounds like a great idea," she replied, but her smile was strained. Henry gave her another quick hug before tearing towards the Crocodile cabin. "Goodnight, Henry," Emma called after him.

"Goodnight, Mom!" he yelled across camp. Emma cringed, realizing they had probably just woken up the entire camp, but she couldn't help but feel a genuine smile fill her face as she watched _her son_ running in the distance.

She locked her yellow bug and made the short trek up to her house. She was just reaching the top of her porch when she noticed the lights on in the living room of the home beside her. Mary Margaret and David were probably still awake and Emma knew they would probably love to hear about how her and Henry's day had gone. Not only that, but Emma didn't want to spend the evening alone with her thoughts after that Friday night. By keeping busy all day and talking to Henry, Emma had managed to avoid thinking of the dance, but left to her own mind, the inexplicable pain started creeping in all over again.

So that's how Emma found herself walking over to their house in the dark. She had barely knocked when David opened the door, almost as if they were expecting her. Knowing them, maybe they were.

"Hi, I just..." Emma tried to explain, but the minute she walked into the room, David pulled her into a tight hug. He made to pull away gently, but Emma tightened her grip and David hugged her right back. She wasn't ready to let go just yet. Although she'd seen him around camp and hung out with him a few nights over the summer, she had missed this. This caring, loving, brother he had become to her. And right now, she needed it. When they finally did break apart, the look on David's face told Emma that Mary Margaret had told David everything. While Emma was grateful to have a friend like Mary Margaret, she sure couldn't keep anything a secret. But at this moment, Emma was secretly glad she had their overwhelming support. David led her into the living room where Mary Margaret met her with another hug.

"How did it go today?" Mary Margaret inquired happily as the trio sat down on the couches, successfully distracting Emma from the get-go. Emma proceeded to explain the whole day in great detail while her two friends listened intently. They laughed at Emma's stories of Henry's crazy reasons as to why ice cream was a healthy dinner option and Mary Margaret almost cried when she told them about handing in the final papers.

As her story wound to a close, Mary Margaret brought out some hot chocolate with cinnamon, Emma's not-so-guilty pleasure and they elected to play Scrabble next. While David gave Emma a run for her money, Mary Margaret was hopeless, and Emma won in the end. It was exactly the kind of night that Emma needed.

After Emma had thanked them for the evening and another round of hugs, she decided take a detour to the kitchens to see if she could nab some bagels or bread to stock up her house. Although it was dark out and the hour had gotten late, Emma walked the well-worn path down to the centre of camp with ease. She opened the doors to the hall (they were never locked seeing as they were in the middle of nowhere and they had no real threats) and noticed a faint light shining down the short hallway to the kitchen. Treading cautiously, she made her way towards the light and heard hushed tones. Finally poking her head around the corner, she wished she had never come to the kitchens. After such a nice night with Mary Margaret and David, she was met with _this_.

Killian and Ruby were seated on the counter, huddled near each other in a cozy conversation. Ruby giggled at something Killian said and Emma felt a spike of jealousy rip through her and settle deep within her stomach. _I'm not jealous. I don't care_. Emma tried to sneak out without either of them noticing, but her emerald eyes fell upon his striking blue ones and she suddenly felt the urge to run out of there. She heard footsteps approaching behind her and she _really_ didn't want to face him.

"Emma! _Emma! Hold on!_ " She had just made it out the door when Killian caught up with her, panting slightly.

"What Killian?" Emma turned around sharply.

"What is going on? I haven't talked to you all day, and Henry said that you told him I was busy when you knew full well I wasn't." Killian's eyes pierced hers, searching for answers she wasn't going to give him. Emma didn't respond. She crossed her arms and looked away. "Have I done something to upset you?" Killian asked softly. "Because you haven't talked, really talked, to me all day and I don't know why."

"I think you can survive a day without me. I don't owe you anything." Emma wanted nothing more than to be back up in the safe walls of her house where nobody would be looking at her like Killian was in that moment: his eyes calculating hers with a stormy, but somehow hurt expression. She looked away.

"I bloody well know that, but is it such a crime for us to spend time together? To be there for each other? I thought we were friends" Killian's voice on the edge of cracking was enough to shake Emma back to reality. Why would he be the one who was hurt here?

"We are friends, Killian."

"Then why won't you even look at me?" he pleaded. Emma's eyes finally met his and she saw the anguish that matched the tone of his words. But every time Emma tried to hold his gaze, she saw him and Ruby together, and that was more than she could handle.

"Maybe I just can't." Emma rasped before she turned on her heel and strode quickly away, leaving Killian speechless behind her.


	8. Chapter 8

To say Emma was avoiding Killian would be a massive understatement. By the time the next round of campers were running around Camp Storybrooke, she had found many ways to keep her distance from him. Not only would she eat meals solely with Henry or avoid the hall all together to dine at her place, but she would switch up the clan schedules so that the Swans were never paired up with the Crocodiles. The other councilors, too busy keeping track of the kids, hardly noticed there was a change at all, and if they did notice, they knew better than to question Emma.

Elsa, however, was not pleased with Emma's constant disappearances and wondered why her fellow Swan leader had been acting so strange. Sure, Elsa didn't mind taking their group to and from activities, and she was fine with running a few by herself, but when Emma didn't meet up with the Swans until the end of lunch on the Wednesday, Elsa had had enough.

"You're coming with me," Elsa growled as she dragged Emma into the Swan cabin while their group played frisbee on the field with the Fox Clan (Elsa was desperate enough to leave _Will_ in charge of her clan).

"Elsa, what are..."

"Seriously, Emma, what the hell is up with you?" Elsa crossed her arms and demanded an explanation as soon as the door was shut behind them. Her icy glare was not something Emma was often subjected to, and she usually liked to keep it that way. "Missing meals at the hall, skipping activities to be _who knows_ where, not showing up for _half the day!?_ "

"Elsa, I know I've been busy, but..."

"But what?!" Elsa was finally letting out all the frustration she'd been suppressing over the past few days, and even if she was yelling at her friend, it felt good to vent. "Do you have any idea how stressful it's been trying to do everything by _myself_? I know you have other camp business to attend to, but I can never find you when I need you anymore and you never tell me where or when you're going somewhere. This isn't like you, Emma. I'm here working my ass off while you're frolicking about..."

"Elsa, I'm sorry, okay?" Emma's voice cracked and she looked down at her feet. "I'll try harder to be there for you," she stated, her words catching in her throat. Elsa was taken aback by Emma's wobbly tone and felt her veil of anger fade away, only to be met by someone who was clearly upset. It was so un-Emma to be vulnerable, and Elsa immediately regretted her harsh outburst. She adopted a softer expression and finally allowed herself to realize that maybe there was a reason for Emma's behaviour. When the pair's eyes met once again, Elsa noticed the tears Emma was determined to not let fall, and led her gently over to her bed in the adjoining room. She patted the spot beside her and after a watery eye roll, Emma sat down.

"Hey," Elsa said soothingly. "What's wrong?" Emma opened her mouth to respond, but Elsa was quicker. "And don't you dare say nothing," she added, earning a small chuckle from Emma. The silence grew between them as Emma tried to steady her breathing.

"It's stupid, really. We should just go back."

"No. Whatever's got you so upset is _not_ stupid." Emma was grateful for the sincerity of her friend's concern, and she really did owe Elsa an explanation for her behaviour.

"Well, um, I'm doing what I do best and avoiding my problems," she started cryptically. Seeing as Elsa didn't respond, she was looking for more of an answer than that. "It's Kil..."

"What?" Elsa prodded, and Emma couldn't blame her for not catching her mumbled response.

"It's Killian. I'm avoiding Killian. Are we done now?" Emma was not a fan of girl chat and thinking of _him_ made her feel so conflicted. Elsa, however, was trying very hard to mask her surprise and keep the concern for her friend as the number one priority.

"Did something happen? Are you okay?" Emma shrugged and felt the tears prick behind her eyes once more.

"I just don't know what to do, or feel, or say. All these thoughts and images keep floating around in my head and I'm so confused."

"What happened, Emma?" Elsa asked, wanting to help in the best way she could.

"You know the dance last Friday?" Emma said, looking at her hands that were fiddling around in her lap. "Earlier in the day, he was being his usual flirty self and we kind of agreed to dance together that night. Then, when I got there, I saw him and Ruby together. Then they _left_ together," she choked out, "and I felt so _stupid_ to think that he would actually want to dance with me." Emma took a shaky breath. Elsa listened to her and tried to absorb as much of the information as she could. With Emma, there was always a whole other layer in between the lines because she hated giving too much of herself away. "I thought we had become pretty close, so he could've just told me that he would rather... What would have happened if I'd arrived later? I would have been standing there like an idiot, waiting for him when he _clearly_ had other plans. And now, I'm so conflicted and confused because I don't know why I'm so upset. He can do whatever he wants, he obviously doesn't have to tell me his every move." Done with opening up for the day, Emma looked over at Elsa to await her reaction.

"Okay, Emma. I know whenever the subject of men comes up, you close up..."

"Oh, we are not going there."

"But would it be so crazy if you did have feelings for Killian?" Elsa asked, ignoring Emma's reluctance.

"Yes, because I don't!" With all her vulnerability spent, Emma was not in the mood for this. She got up and started to head back outside.

"Emma, wait!" But she was already out the door.

After her discussion with Elsa, Emma was much better about sticking around during the day and leading her Clan. Whenever she was forced to talk to Killian, she stuck to one word answers, though their conversations were scarce due to Emma's avoidance. In fact, the first time she really talked to him was the following morning when all the groups came back from the out-trip. Seeing that Emma was in charge of meeting with the councilors during breakfast to make sure all the campers had made it back safely, facing Killian was nearly unavoidable. Emma was dreading their conversation, and was needless to say unprepared when he finally approached her.

"Everyone make it back?" she inquired while looking at her sheet. Maybe she could keep it short.

"Can we take this somewhere a little more private?" Killian asked somewhat roughly. Apparently luck was not on her side.

"Why can't we do it here?" Killian simply turned on his heel and went to a bench outside. Emma rolled her eyes and followed him, nervous for what was coming next. Emma had barely sat down when Killian started grilling her.

"This is not going to work for the rest of the summer, Swan."

"What do you..."

"You know full well what I mean. You're avoiding me." It wasn't a question. If Emma hadn't been so nervous, maybe she'd have noticed the pain simmering beneath the surface of his words.

"I'm not avoiding..."

"Yes, you are," Killian interrupted, clearly distraught by Emma's hostile behaviour over the last few days. "I've been racking my brain and I can't figure out why you'd be mad at me. Henry's upset as well, that we're not talking. I thought that maybe you could at least tell me why." Emma's heart sunk at his words. She hadn't even considered how Henry would be affected by this. The three of them did spend most of their free time together, and Emma had failed to see how Henry would feel torn between the two of them.

"Killian, I... I don't know what you want me to say."

"Try the truth then," he pleaded. "You can tell me anything, Emma." His voice was gently begging Emma to let him in. "We've shared difficult things with each other in the past."

"Yeah, but that was before."

"Before what?"

"Why do you even care, anyway?"

"Because I care about you, Emma. Is that so hard to understand? And I thought that maybe it was a possibility that you cared for me as well. It's what friends do." Emma's heart skipped a beat as she felt her stomach flip at his words. While she was shocked that he could just lay it all on the table like that, Emma couldn't erase the image of him and Ruby from her mind. She loathed how this man could make her feel so much, as if her emotions were amplified by his mere presence.

"You have other friends, Killian," Emma said, getting up and letting him ponder the indication of her words. She should have just asked Archie about their Clan.

While seeking out Henry, the conversation Emma had just had with Killian jumped around in her head, leaping constantly to the forefront of her mind. He seemed so genuinely upset and distressed at her avoidance that she found herself wanting to do nothing other than let the hurt she felt disappear and have him wrap his arms around her. And for a few moments, she believed that that could be a possibility ( _Because I care about you, Emma_ ) until the memory of the dance came flooding back at full force. Then, she did the only thing she'd ever known, the one thing she'd learned from her foster home days: push them away until the pain they cause can't hurt you anymore. Emma thought that talking to Killian would be the last step to get _whatever_ stirred within her to go away, but the whole encounter only left her feeling more torn than before.

"Mom?" Henry's voice cut through her thoughts. She turned around to see Henry coming towards her, wielding a large brown book under his arm. It was the storybook Mary Margaret had given him during his first year at Camp Storybrooke. Emma used to read the stories to him at night to help him sleep (something she'd never experienced as a child, but had always imagined would feel better than crying herself to sleep) and it quickly became his favourite book.

"Henry! I was just looking for you." She pulled him into a quick hug, and felt him freeze for a moment before relaxing into it.

"Is everything okay?" he wondered. Henry had always observant and had learned to read Emma better than most even though he was still a kid.

"Can we talk for a sec?" Emma asked before leading him over to a fallen log near the edge of the field. The pair sat down and Henry looked up questioningly at Emma.

"I just wanted to apologize. I didn't realize that you were being affected by... _everything_ going on and I'm sorry for putting you in the middle of it."

"It's okay," Henry said with a tentative smile. "I just couldn't really pick a side."

"I know, I'm sorry. And if something is bothering you again, just be honest with me and I'll try my best to make it right, okay?" The boy nodded and gripped his book a little tighter.

"Can I ask you something?" Henry rushed as if his question would cause Emma to close up.

"Of course. Anything!"

"Why are you mad at Killian? He's been upset all week and you won't talk to him, I can put two and two together." Maybe he was too observant.

"Umm. We... well actually _he_ ,uh...Okay, so what happened was..." Emma tried to come up with a response.

"You know what? Never mind. Just please make up before tomorrow, and try to be nice to the poor guy," Henry said as he got up from the log and adjusted the storybook under his arm once more.

"Alright, kid," Emma agreed, standing up beside him. "I'll try." The grin on Henry's face was worth whatever she was going to have to do to stomach Killian's presence. Henry started to walk away before Emma processed everything Henry had said. "Wait! What's happening tomorrow?"

"I can't tell you," he replied, but the mischief written all over his features unsettled her. With that, he stalked away with his book, leaving Emma in a nervous state behind him.

As Killian watched Emma walk away, her words played in his head like a broken record. _Why do you even care, anyway._ She had managed to have the whole conversation with him without actually giving him a straight answer and the pain he found settling in his chest at her inexplicable avoidance was only growing. _You have other friends, Killian._ It was strikingly clear that he would not be getting any explanations from her any time soon. It was with this thought in mind that Killian found himself traipsing up to the Nolan house in the forest that night after the campfire. He knew it was Anna's week to stay with the Sparrows, so he hoped to catch Mary Margaret at her place. Maybe she could help clear the air and provide some reasons for Emma's behaviour.

He knocked thrice upon the door and waited as he heard the soft padding of feet make their way to the front of the house. The mahogany door opened and Killian was met with the petite woman holding a steaming mug of tea. She must have noticed the anguished look on his face, for she welcomed him inside and shooed him into the cozy living room. He took a seat in one of the plush armchairs next to the central coffee table that Mary Margaret had placed her tea on before sitting down on the sofa to his right.

"So, what's brought you here, Killian?" She was the first to break the silence, and she could easily tell something wasn't quite right without Killian donning his usual smirk.

"I actually came to inquire about Emma. She's been acting unusually evasive towards me and I wondered if she'd said anything to you." As Killian spoke, he kept his eyes trained on Mary Margaret to gauge her reaction. He saw a flicker of acknowledgment in her features and awaited her reply.

"Well, I know Emma better than most and I may be able to help," she said after a slight pause, as if she wasn't sure that she should be sharing this information, "but you should really talk to _her_ about this."

"I've tried," he countered, "but she refuses to speak with me for some reason and I can't get through to her anymore." Mary Margaret listened as he recounted his conversation with Emma on the bench that morning and how he'd noticed that she'd hardly been able to even look at him lately. "And what could she possibly mean by 'You have other friends'?"

Sensing the distress and pain in Killian's voice, Mary Margaret decided that she may as well help him out. Even though he'd unintentionally hurt her friend, she always tried to see the best in people, and judging by the looks he'd been giving Emma all summer, she had to believe what had happened at the dance was a misunderstanding.

"I'm going to try to clear this up as much as I can, okay? To start, Emma did go to the dance last Friday."

"What? I didn't.. I thought... She told me she wasn't feeling well enough to go and had stayed home." More confusion was seeping into his tone.

"Well, she did go, but only for 30 seconds or so."

"Why didn't she come and at least tell me? I thought we had been on a fairly friendly note until then."

"I think that may be your problem, Killian." Mary Margaret tried to ease him into the situation, but he was turning out to be almost as clueless as David usually was.

"And what is that supposed to mean? Why do you both speak in some manner of code?" Mary Margaret knew better than to continue down _that_ road. She knew Emma would absolutely murder her if she threw around her suspicions about the blonde's feelings, especially to the subject in question, so she decided to try another route.

"What I mean is that Emma doesn't make friends with just anybody, and even more rarely does she let them know anything about her, let them behind her mile-high walls. A person would have to be very important to her for her to let them into her life." Mary Margaret paused to let Killian to catch up and process her words. She saw him nod slightly, allowing her to continue.

"But when she does let them in, she is very protective of the people she cares about. So my guess is that she might have felt slightly betrayed when she saw you whisper into another woman's ear and let yourself be led out the back door. That doesn't leave much to the imagination." Killian felt the memory of last week's dance float through his head. All he could remember was sitting gloomily, waiting on the bleachers for a certain blonde to arrive except for one moment where... Killian's eyes opened wide and he felt his heart sink to his stomach, knowing exactly what it must have looked like.

"Emma _never_ goes to the dances," Mary Margaret continued, "so maybe the only reason she'd come was because she'd been hoping to spend time with you." Killian was so stunned by her declaration that he hadn't noticed Mary Margaret had left the room before he heard her tinkering around in the kitchen.

All of a sudden, everything that had happened over the past week finally began to click into place. The way she brushed off every attempt at a conversation he made, how she wouldn't look him straight in the eyes. Emma thought Killian had picked Ruby over her. She had allowed herself to be open and take a chance on someone, and he'd seemingly confirmed every one of her fears. She believed that once again, someone she thought had cared for her abandoned her when someone else came along. He had driven her into the same frame of mind she'd permanently resided in during her foster home days. _Everyone leaves you eventually. You're not special or anything. Once we find someone better, we won't need you anymore._ Killian suddenly felt sick to his stomach. It was painstakingly obvious why Emma was so mad at him.

Mary Margaret entered the room once more and placed a mug of tea down in front of Killian.

"Thank you. And thank you for explaining all that to me," he croaked before clearing his throat and taking a deep breath. "I feel as though I owe you an explanation as well. I am not, in any way, involved with Ruby. Nor was I ever. At the dance, I actually came up with an idea, a surprise for Emma." Killian felt a blush climb its way up his neck. "However, I need Ruby's assistance to carry it out. She spotted me and while she was forcing me to dance, I told her about it and she was very excited. She then dragged me outside so she could hear all the details without us having to scream at each other over the loud music and we came back moments later. I can assure you, Emma was the only woman I had intentions of dancing with that evening," he admitted, taking a sip of his tea to fill the silence that had settled between them.

Mary Margaret absorbed all the details of his story and Killian saw the understanding make its way behind her eyes. Not only was he reading her, but the woman had seen the care and not-so-well hidden affection in his speech.

"Just please be careful with Emma," she started quietly. "She is _so_ strong, but has been through so much heartbreak and pain with friends, family and love... I'm not sure how much more she can take. I think even she's surprised at how she's been feeling over these last few days." Mary Margaret knew she was treading on thin ice when discussing Emma's feelings, but the man before her had been nothing but genuine since the moment he met them. "You affect her, Killian, whether she'll admit it to you or not. After all these years, I thought the light in her eyes had gone out completely. Although she loves it here and loves the job, it's just not the same. But with you here, she's got this spark, this fire that I've never seen. I know how you are with her and even Henry. Whether you two are friends or _whatever_ , she seems truly happy."

Killian honestly couldn't think of anything to say, and sat there like an idiot trying to ponder Mary Margaret's words, though he felt a new-found determination spread through him like a wildfire to follow through with his surprise for Emma.

"Okay, well, we have a big day tomorrow so I'm going to get some rest and you should probably get some sleep too," Mary Margaret noted with a yawn. Killian stood up and reached for his mug to bring into the kitchen.

"Leave it," Mary Margaret said softly. "I'll get it."

"Oh, uh, thank you. Thank you for everything, Mary Margaret," he said, trying to convey just how grateful he was for her time. He made his way towards the front door and heard the small woman follow behind him.

"It was my pleasure. See you tomorrow, Killian." He stepped out onto the stairs into the fresh night air before turning around.

"See you tomorrow," he echoed before heading down the stairs and making his way onto the path towards the cabins. The stars sparkled through the canopy of trees above as the ivory moon bid Killian goodnight.


	9. Chapter 9

_The musics blared around him. Something about a man with "hella good hair", whatever the bloody hell that meant. There was no sign of the blonde anywhere._

" _Still a no-show?" Killian whipped around to see Ruby stalking towards his lonely corner on the bleachers where he'd been sitting for the majority of the evening._

" _Uh... what do you mean?" Killian replied, fixing as puzzled a look as he could on his face._

" _Killian," Ruby said flatly, not fooled in the slightest my his meager attempt to appear as though he hadn't been waiting for Emma to arrive all night. "You're acting like a love-sick puppy, waiting for Emma in the corner by yourself." Killian felt like his face was going up in flames._

" _I am not!"_

" _Oh, please! It's kind of obvious," she whispered, as if even though everyone could tell, it should be kept a secret. "Besides, although she hates these dances, I have a feeling... Ooh! I love this song, let's dance!" Ruby grabbed Killian and began to dance. "Anyway, I feel like she'll definitely show up tonight."_

" _And why is that?" Killian inquired, slightly unsettled by the wolfish grin creeping on to her face._

" _Seriously?" Ruby yelled, trying to make herself heard over the increasing noise in the room. "You have got to open your eyes, buddy." But Killian didn't hear the last part as an idea began to form in his head. If Emma didn't want to go to a dance, he didn't want to make her. He could think of something else fun for an evening._

 _He leaned in close and told Ruby his idea, requiring her help in setting it up. Ruby, immediately excited by the plan, proposed they start that very second to make everything perfect. However, if they were to start brainstorming the details, they would need to talk somewhere without screaming pre-teens. So, Ruby grabbed Killian by the hand and dragged him out the back door to start discussing the plan._

As Killian clambered into the dining hall in the morning, he spotted Emma sitting with her Swans. Even through his groggy morning vision, Emma looked radiant with her blonde curls tumbling past her shoulders. He made his way to the Crocodiles, past the rest of the breakfast tables rife with excitement about the dance that night. After greeting his Clan, he moved on to the food area and hazily piled food on his plate. Killian couldn't stop thinking of his conversation with Mary Margaret the prior night, and each time the memories flashed behind his eyes, he stole a glance at Emma. He knew he couldn't simply bring it up with her, because that would without a doubt send her running. He also knew that she would loathe to admit she'd been hurt. If only he could get her to talk to him...

"Killian! Stop staring at her, you're going to scare her." Killian jumped and nearly dropped his tray as Ruby fell into step beside him on the way back to their tables. "Woah! You need to relax, Jones. Nervous for tonight?" They took a seat at their respective tables that were beside each other.

"Look, Ruby. I'm not sure if I can go through with the plan."

"What?!" Ruby shrieked. Killian sent her a glare and she hastily lowered her voice to a whisper. "Why not?" Killian scratched behind his ear, unsure of how to explain his circumstance.

"Well... I don't think Emma would want to go with me," he began. "I don't know if you've noticed, but she's been avoiding me." He poked around at the food on his plate.

"Wait, why? Besides Mary Margaret, you're her best friend here."

"She won't even talk to me and do you know why?" Ruby shook her head, eyes wide in anticipation. "Mary Margaret thinks," Killian continued, "it's because Emma saw you and I dancing and she believes I went to the dance with you instead of with her when we had... uh... sort of unspokenly agreed to go together." Ruby processed Killian's words and after a brief moment of something he couldn't quite place on her face, it contorted into confusion.

"How is that even possible? I heard Emma was sick last Friday."

"Apparently, she saw us head out the back together. I don't know the particulars." Anguish began to slip into his tone. "Maybe I should just tell Granny the surprise is off." He awaited Ruby's response. He could nearly see the gears turning in her head. "So...?" he prompted.

"No. You have to go through with it." Killian looked at her as if she'd just sprouted a second head.

"I _just_ told you she doesn't want to be around me," he said, exasperated. He snuck a look at Emma who was smiling at something one of her campers had said. _Gods_ , he missed seeing that smile directed at him.

"Hey," Ruby snapped, shaking him out of trance. "If she thinks you and I are a thing, you need to show her that she still matters to you and that you and I are not together. Just... trust me on this."

Ruby turned back around to eat with her Wolves, passing around a sign-up paper to see who wanted her to do their hair and make-up for the dance. The butterflies Killian had fluttering in his stomach before their conversation were now having a full-fledged party. He just hoped Emma would give him a chance.

After a delicious lunch of Granny's "famous" grilled cheese sandwiches, the clans split up to play forest games throughout the woods. As luck would have it, the Swans were paired up with the Wolves to go for a hike in the eastern part of the forest and then play a few rounds of Camouflage. It wasn't that Emma was upset with Ruby, why would she be? It's not like the brunette did anything wrong. Killian and Emma were _just friends._ But Emma couldn't help the little twang of jealousy that struck through her stomach at the sight of Ruby. _This is ridiculous. I'm a grown woman and I can handle it like one._ Nevertheless, Belle and Ruby rallied their clan while Elsa and Emma assembled theirs and the group made their way into the woods.

When they arrived at their destination in the thick of the woods, Belle explained the game of Camouflage and chose a camper to be "it". After a few rounds, Emma found a spot on a log to sit and retie her laces that had come undone. All of a sudden, she felt a presence beside her and saw a pair of shockingly red runners make their way into her periphery. Only one councilor would have shoes that matched the streaks in their hair.

"Excited for tonight?" Ruby asked bubbly as she took a seat next to Emma, who tried not to stiffen at her arrival.

"For the dance? No," Emma replied flatly. "You know I don't like going." She mentally counted the scrambling children to see if all her clan was still there.

"Not even to dance with a gorgeous Irishman?" Ruby lilted, interrupting Emma's tally. The blonde tried, she really tried, not to let any feelings simmer beneath her skin at Ruby's teasing tone. What did she think she was playing at? Why did she think Emma would dance with Killian? If Ruby had come over to flaunt that she was with Killian, Emma was determined not to care.

"If you mean Killian, and I'm assuming you do, then no. Why would that make a difference?" Emma was not in the mood to have this conversation.

"Umm, maybe because he's like, the _only_ person you've talked to for a month and..."

"I talk to Henry," Emma interjected.

"That doesn't count. Emma, you laugh and smile around Killian like I've never seen you do with anyone. And we've known each other for 10 years!" Emma genuinely couldn't understand where this conversation was going. Why was Ruby saying this when she was the one with Killian? "He's funny, genuine, good with Henry..."

"If you think he's so charming, then why don't you go with him?" Emma finally snapped, finished with trying to see where Ruby was coming from with her comments. "You know, like you did last week. You guys seemed to have _lots_ of fun."

"I thought you didn't go to the dance last week," Ruby said innocently, but Emma felt as if she'd fallen into a trap.

 _Shit! What can I say? What can I say!?_

"I came for a bit to check up on Henry. Make sure he wasn't causing any trouble." Ruby was never going to buy that.

"Hmm.. right. Well, just so you know, Killian and I aren't together." Ruby heard Emma's breath hitch, but decided to ignore it for the blonde's sake. "We never have been. At the dance, we danced for like, half a song and then went to talk outside so we wouldn't have to scream at each other over the music. He just wanted to run an idea by me."

"But I thought.. he..." Emma felt like her heart was caught in her throat and her head was spinning at a mile a minute.

"When we came back inside a few minutes later," Ruby continued, "he waited for _you_ the rest of the night. It's too bad you were sick though. The poor guy really wanted to see you."

This whole time, Killian and Ruby hadn't been together? And Emma had spent an entire week ignoring the man she... the man who had become her best friend?

"So.. but in the kitchens, I saw you guys. I assumed..."

"We're not together," Ruby repeated. "Just... please let him back in, Em. Give him a chance." The brunette put a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Come on. We have to head back now."

Emma went through the motions of standing up after her friend, her mind whirring with the new information. This changed _everything_.

Now Emma felt _really_ stupid. Seeking isolation, she spent the whole hour the kids had for free time before dinner down by the lake, skipping stones on the water and thinking about the past week.

On that Friday, when she'd felt the cracks in her heart begin to widen, she'd been so mean to Killian and had shut him out completely in a desperate attempt to keep those cracks from tearing apart. And what had it accomplished? Other providing herself scarcely enough space to try to trick herself into believing she didn't care, she'd been so narrow-minded, propelled by her insecurities that she'd hurt him.

Why did this matter so much to her in the first place? Why did _he_ matter so much? Whether it was the way he'd never stopped believing in her abilities to be a great leader and mother to Henry or the fact that he'd somehow wedged himself into her life (and bit by bit into her unwilling heart), Emma found herself unable to deny that she cared for him... a lot... and didn't want to waste one more second making him believe they weren't friends.

However, when Emma trekked up the hill towards the hall for dinner, all her confidence disappeared and she was suddenly nervous as hell to see him. Would he let her back in after everything she'd put him through? She just hoped Killian would give her a chance.

All Emma could do as she took her place across from Elsa at the Swan table was sneak glances at Killian who was sitting, facing her, on the other side of the room. She made sure to divert her eyes the moment she thought he was looking her way.

Hearing Elsa snicker, Emma snapped out of it and saw that the other girls were chuckling silently as well. She gave the other leader a questioning glare. Elsa pointed discreetly at the camper on Emma's left who was looking up at her expectantly.

"Sorry, did I miss something?" Emma cautioned. She heard Elsa laugh again.

"Emma," the girl on her left grinned. "Why are you staring at Killian?"

"I'm not," Emma countered immediately, hoping her cheeks weren't as red as they felt.

"You are," chorused around her table along with more giggles. Looking for someone to blame, Emma scowled at Elsa.

When dessert rolled around, the Clans went up in groups to get it and returned promptly to their tables. When the Swans came back though, there was an empty seat. Emma scanned the room to see if the camper was there or if she'd maybe headed to the bathroom. Her eyes flickered until they settled on the young brunette who was talking to... Killian. Emma stomach lurched and she worried what trouble the girl was causing her.

Upon her return to the table, the Swans squealed when they saw what their friend had in her hand from the "hot Crocodile councilor". It was a napkin, folded, that was handed to Emma as the Swans craned their necks to see what it was. Emma caught sight of Elsa's smirk which only made Emma more nervous.

Already embarrassed beyond repair, Emma slowly opened the napkin. Scrawled in elegant handwriting was: _May I help you with your paperwork tonight? It would be my utmost honour to assist you._ _̴_ _Killian._

Emma read it and felt her heart warm at his request and at the fact that he still seemed willing to be around her. Emma read it once more and rolled her eyes. Who needed to write with that level of formality anyway?

The Swans at this point had all read what it said and erupted in giggles, telling her to say yes. Emma took a moment to look over at Killian, who was obviously enjoying the frenzy he'd created. She rolled her eyes again.

"What do you girls think? Should I let him?" The responses Emma received ranged from "Yeah!" to "He's so hot!" to "Duh!". Emma sighed, but felt a smile tug at her lips. Slowly, she turned her gaze back to Killian and giving him a slight nod (followed by another round of squeals from the teens around her), Emma saw Killian's smile grow from all the way across the room.

After wishing her girls good luck for the dance, Emma made her escape up the hill to her house. She closed the door and settled against it to take a few deep breaths. She didn't know why she was so nervous. Maybe it was the anticipation of seeing Killian and really talking to him after a whole week. _God_ , it felt like a lifetime.

Moseying into the living room, Emma lay the paperwork onto the coffee table. She tidied up the area a little bit (because why not?) and she quickly changed out of her jeans into some comfier yoga pants and threw on a tank top. Killian hadn't specified a time, and each second that ticked by on the clock above her fireplace echoed through the room.

Just as she was settling down, Emma heard a knock on her door and nearly fell onto the couch in surprise. She tried not to run to the door where she knew Killian was waiting and took a brief moment to compose herself. When she yanked the door open, she certainly hadn't expected _that_.

Killian's dark hair was mussed and he'd obviously taken the time to change as well. He wore a navy blue cotton t-shirt that hugged him in all the right places under his soft leather jacket that he'd worn into town with her and Henry numerous times, paired with his dark washed jeans. Killian's eyes were clear and bright as they gazed into Emma's.

"Hello, Emma," he greeted huskily.

"Hey," she responded, slightly dazed. "You actually came." Emma had been so worried that he would bail and decide she wasn't worth it. But seeing as he mirrored the same look of longing that Emma knew was on her face, she'd been foolish to think that.

"Of course, love. Why wouldn't I?"

"It's just... we haven't exactly spoken recently and I've been a huge bitch." Killian chuckled lightly at her words, but sensed she had more to say and stayed quiet. "I'm really sorry for the way I've been acting. It wasn't fair to you or anyone else and I'm so sorry that I cut you out like that, I just..."

"You are forgiven, Swan," Killian said with a timid smile. "I'm just glad... or I _hope_ rather... that you are still open to being friends again."

"Killian," Emma swallowed thickly. _Of course_ , he would forgive her right away. This man was too good for her. "I am if you are."

"Deal." Killian said with a grin and held out his hand for Emma to shake. She reached forward and grabbed his hand. The moment their fingers met, Emma felt a certain warmth enter her body and wanted nothing more than to fall into his arms and never let go.

"However," Killian proclaimed as their hands fell reluctantly apart, "I did some thinking, and while I may have other friends, Emma, none compare to you." In that moment, Emma's heart skipped a beat and nearly stopped working all together. "So to show you what I mean, you need to get your coat."

"Wait.. what?!" Emma did not see what this had to do with them being friends.

"Come on! We need to go!" Killian grabbed Emma's jacket off the rack and started to walk down the wooden steps. Emma stood, frozen in the doorway trying to process what was happening. Killian turned around with a devilish smirk on his face.

"Don't worry, Swan, I'm not whisking you away to the dance. But do you really think I'd let you sit around and do paperwork on a lovely Friday night? I've got a surprise for you."

Emma's smile reached her ears and she laughed at his enthusiasm. Racing down the steps after him, Emma wondered what adventure he had in store.


	10. Chapter 10

"Killian! Where are you? If you scare me, I swear to God I will..."

"Relax, Swan. I'm right here." Emma jumped at the sudden closeness of his voice. She hated not being able to see where she was going.

Minutes prior, after Emma had caught up with Killian at the bottom of her porch, he had stopped abruptly and produced a blindfold. ("What the hell are you doing?" "Come on, Emma. It's a _surprise_." "You have got to be kidding me.") The last thing Emma had seen before tumbling into the darkness was Killian's startling blue eyes.

"Can you at least tell me where we're going?" Emma whined. She knew that they were stopped at the Crocodile cabin so Killian could fetch another sweater, but she was becoming increasingly paranoid as to where this little excursion would bring her.

"Not a chance, love," came Killian's reply, his breath tickling her neck as his right hand snaked around her and settled on her waist.

"What are you doing?" Emma snapped, thankful for the first time that night that she was wearing a blindfold. It hid her blush quite nicely. She could feel her skin tingling through her shirt where his hand rested.

"Try something new, darling. It's called trust," he chuckled, and Emma reluctantly snuck her arm around his waist so they could walk more comfortably. Blindfolded or not, Emma knew there was a smirk growing on Killian's face. "Besides, you are at a great disadvantage here, love, and I am only trying to save you from falling and getting a mouthful of pine-cones."

The musky smell of pine slammed into her and she realized where they had wandered over the past minute.

"We're going on a hike?! I'm blindfolded!"

Killian laughed freely at her proclamation and tightened his grip on her waist, assuring her that he wouldn't allow any harm to come their way.

So they walked, Killian lending a hand to help Emma over fallen logs and cradling her head as they ducked under sagging branches. The air beneath the tree-tops was fresh, crisp as evening fell and the sun dipped below the hills surrounding the camp. It was always calm in the forest, a perfect getaway from the craziness of the camp. As much as the counselors loved the campers, serenity was a rare occurrence and Emma and Killian knew to take full advantage.

The pair talked cautiously about the week that had come to pass and without acknowledging anything specifically, they both appeared to be willing to simply move forward from that point on. They also discussed the different teenage campers they had met that week ("One of my Crocodiles won't stop speaking in Pig Latin." "Oorpay abybay." "Not funny, Swan.") and Emma recounted the tale of Henry's adoption to Killian.

"Speaking of your son," Killian began, sensing Emma smile beside him at his last word, "I believe I should tell you something, but promise me you won't make your knowledge of the story known."

"Okay..." Emma was weary as to what this story could entail. Knowing Henry, and Killian for that matter, she wasn't quite sure she wanted to know what the pair of them had concocted this time. "You didn't put more flour in my blow-dryer did you?"

"Ah, no," Killian laughed sheepishly. Emma had not been pleased with that prank. "I simply thought you should know that Henry is hoping to escort a girl to the dance this evening."

"He... he's what?" Emma was beyond surprised. Her sweet, little Henry had plucked up the courage to ask a girl to the dance?

"Aye. Some red-headed lass from Anna and Mary Margaret's clan."

"Wow," Emma uttered, still speechless. "I didn't even know he had his eye on anyone."

"Yeah, he's a shy lad. But not to worry, Swan. He confided in me and I helped him practice asking out a lady, so hopefully all goes well for the dance."

Emma felt her heart jump into her throat and she couldn't help the scene from forming in her mind. She pictured Henry at war with himself before finally admitting he needed someone's help, and the way he would seek Killian out, someone he knew wouldn't laugh at him and who would treat him like an equal. She could see a blushing Henry mumbling something about needing advice and Killian responding with an encouraging smile and a gentle openness that let Henry know he was there for him.

"You did that for him?" Emma stammered.

"Of course. I would do anything for your boy," Killian admitted, and Emma didn't even need to see the honesty that shone in his eyes to know he was telling the truth.

Emma and Killian stumbled down the path, stopping for a rest every once in a while. They were on a trail that was seldom used, one in behind the cabins that led up deep into the thick of the forest. While Emma had made most of the trails throughout the past decade and memorized the majority, this was one she wasn't familiar with in the slightest. Then again, being blindfolded didn't help either. So when her ears picked up the growing sound of rushing water, she was somewhat worried. She knew an easy stream led to the lake, but she had never known the current to be stronger at other parts.

"You didn't bring me out here to kill me and then dump my body in a river did you?"

"Way to ruin the surprise, Swan."

They continued toward the water until Killian stopped abruptly, where Emma assumed they had reached the river bank.

"Uh oh," Killian muttered, and Emma could only imagine the way he was bringing his hand up to scratch his ear. "It appears we may have a slight problem getting across."

"What? Is there no bridge or log or something?" Emma was not in the mood to go for a swim.

"No, there's a log. It's just... I don't think you'll be able to navigate it blindfolded. By myself, this was a lot simpler," Killian explained.

"Then I'll just take the blindfold off for now and..."

"No way! What would be the fun in that!?"

They were at a stalemate. At least it wasn't completely pitch black yet and they could try to devise a plan.

"Killian, this is going to be impossible. Just let me..."

"Swan, I think you're forgetting, I love a challenge. Give me one second."

His arm left her waist and she heard him stalk off in the direction of the stream. Emma shivered in the cool night air, but she would never admit that her sudden loss of warmth was more likely due to the absence of a certain someone's hand burning her side with his touch. She heard an " _Oi, that's my toe! Bloody rock!_ "in the distance and had to stifle a laugh.

"I have found the solution!" Killian announced upon his return. Before she knew it, Emma felt an arm on her back and another behind her knees and she was swiftly lifted bridal-style into the air. "If you would just put your arms around my neck, lass, we can be on our way." Emma bit back a retort and reluctantly laced her hands around him.

"Are you sure about this?" Emma questioned.

"Positive. I've carried buckets of fish heavier than you." Killian cringed the moment the words left his mouth.

"You really know how to charm a girl, don't you."

Slowly, they made their way onto the log and steadily across the river. Careful to step down easily and avoid as much jostling as possible, Killian placed Emma back on her feet. And if Emma let her hands linger on his biceps a little longer than needed to "regain her balance", that was neither here nor there. The pair continued their hike further up the hillside until _finally_ , Killian slowed them to a stop.

"We're here," he whispered into her ear. Emma felt Killian's hands at the back of her head, untying the knot in the blindfold. When he pulled it off her head and tucked it in his pocket, Emma blinked a few times to let her eyes adjust before she was met with those startling blue eyes once more. "Ready, love?" he asked, tucking a piece of stray hair, tussled by the blindfold, behind her ear.

"I guess so," Emma breathed, her stomach fluttering in anticipation. Killian stepped to the side, his torso no longer blocking the scene before them. And what a scene it was.

He had brought her to a large clearing where moonlight poured in and the stars could be seen twinkling above. Though the clearing wasn't all that small, it was cocooned by the surrounding towering trees, giving it a cozy, intimate feel. In the middle of the clearing was a fire pit where a mound of wood was lined with stones, waiting to be lit. Beside the fire, a small picnic basket was resting on a red, snug blanket that was spread out on the ground and another blanket was folded on top, next to the basket.

"Killian," Emma exhaled as she floated to the middle of the clearing. "What is all this?" She turned back around to see Killian making his way over to her.

"It's... uh... a surprise. For you." Emma observed the beautiful scene in front of her. _This was for her?_

"You did all this for me?" Her eyes were shining as she faced Killian. He nodded with a shy smile.

"When talking about your youth, you once mentioned how most of your experiences, while they may have started out okay, ended up becoming tainted in some way. So, I thought that maybe we could start replacing your bad memories with good ones. Maybe with a moonlit picnic, for example."

Emma was truly speechless as she gazed at the man before her. Throughout her entire childhood, she had never had anyone who cared enough about her to do something like this. When she was in elementary school, they had always had this time on Mondays where the students shared what they had done on the weekend or how they had spent their vacations. Emma would hear about how the other kids went to the park with their brothers and sisters, had family game night and watched a movie or went on a ski trip with their parents. Every week, without fail, Emma sat in the back of the class with nothing to share, her face buried in a book to hide the tears that filled her eyes. For Killian to do this touched Emma more than he knew.

"I'm sorry if I've upset you, lass." Killian broke the lengthy silence. "I didn't mean for..."

"No! God, Killian... I'm not upset, I'm..." Emma didn't know what to say. She hastily wiped away a few tears. "Thank you," she said simply. "This is incredible."

"Well, come on then!" Killian exclaimed, leading Emma to the blanket and sitting down next to her. He rummaged through the basket, extracting a few different containers. Finally, he pulled out a tall thermos and two mugs.

"Where did you get all this stuff? And how did you get it here?" Emma wondered aloud, intrigued by what Killian had in store.

"I managed to convince Granny to make a small assortment of things, and Ruby helped as well." Emma felt her cheeks heat up at the mention of Ruby. She had been so jealous of the two of them spending time together and all they were doing was planning this for her. "And I brought it up here before I came and got you. The hike is much faster when both parties can see."

As Killian poured the hot chocolate he'd brought, Emma looked through the containers. In the first, there were chocolate covered strawberries with white chocolate drizzled on top and another held a small lemon loaf topped with sugar icing and raspberries. The amount of effort that Killian had put into this night was something that Emma didn't take for granted. He had organized this whole surprise _for_ her and was spending his whole evening _with her_. For the first time in a while, Emma was going to let herself have a good time because she just _wanted to_. And she wanted to spend it _with him_.

She opened the final container which revealed two sugar cookies shaped like people, elegantly decorated, one looking remarkably like Emma and the other resembling Killian. Emma laughed gently at the decorations on the cookies.

"Oh, those were Henry's doing, I'm afraid," Killian pointed out, noticing her apparent amusement. "He was rather excited about the whole plan."

"It's cute!" Emma said, trying to refrain from laughing out again.

"I do appear devilishly handsome, don't I?" Killian teased, his eyebrow raised as he slid a mug into Emma's hand. She rolled her eyes. "Oh! I almost forgot!" Killian reached into the basket one more time, producing a tiny, cinnamon-filled shaker. He reached over to Emma's mug and sprinkled some on top, following suit on his own.

"How did you know I like cinnamon on my hot chocolate?"

"I did my research, love," Killian replied with a wink. "Here's to no paperwork or yelling children." He raised his mug towards Emma who laughed and clinked her mug against his. Together, they took a sip and gazed up at the starlit sky above.


	11. Chapter 11

Somewhere throughout the night, Killian decided that his new favourite sound was that of Emma's laugh. With a quirk of an eyebrow and a lopsided smile, he drew the beautiful sound out of her and maybe it was selfish of him, but he found himself falling further in love with her at every carefree, unguarded smile Emma flashed his way.

Emma couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed so much her stomach hurt, but boy did it feel good. She just couldn't help herself when all his swagger disappeared and he became an adorable idiot. Like when they'd heard a rustle in the surrounding trees and Killian visibly jumped as an owl hooted and swooped over the clearing ("I most certainly did _not_ jump, love." "Yeah, right."). The sheepish grin and endearingly bashful look behind his eyes sent Emma's heart into a flurry and it was almost as if she was falling further... _No. That is a road for another time. Or never, actually. Never sounds good... Right?_

When the roaring campfire Killian had lit eased into embers and the treats were long gone, Emma and Killian were simply enjoying each others' company and the sea of stars in the inky black sky. Lying down on the blanket, Killian's eyes turned brighter as they reflected the stars above, opening wide to take it all in. He looked peaceful, handsome even, gazing towards the sky, and all Emma wanted to do was join him. She bit her lip, unsure if lying down beside the man was such a good idea at the moment. After this incredible night and everything that had happened between them over the summer, Emma didn't know if her self-control could last any longer. Sensing her hesitance, Killian lifted his head briefly with a small smile.

"Don't worry, love. I don't bite." Emma let out a shaky laugh, grateful to dissolve some of the tension.

"Unless you beg," he added with a smirk and _of course_ he was pushing her buttons. She rolled her eyes and pointedly stayed sitting up, craning her neck to look away from him and above the treetops. She heard a light chuckle behind her before she felt a playful tug at the tips of her hair.

"Only joking, Swan. I will be the perfect gentleman," he proclaimed sincerely. "Besides, there is something I need to show you."

Letting his antics slide, Emma settled herself next to Killian. She was close enough that their arms brushed every time he pointed skyward, sending butterflies through her stomach at each touch. However, Emma couldn't dwell on the effects of their proximity when Killian decided to take it upon himself to educate Emma in the lights of the galaxy.

"Constellations, love, are like landmarks lining the heavens. Connecting them lie the paths that have guided past explorers, navigators, pirates..."

"Pirates? Really?"

"Obviously," he replied, almost taken aback that she could tempt to deny such a thing. Emma giggled to herself as he went on, explaining how to find your position by referencing the stars and depicting glorious tales to match each constellation. It was only when he claimed that a random cluster of stars was meant to be a woman that she drew the line.

"Oh, come on! There is no way in hell that looks anything even remotely close to a woman," Emma declared. "It's just a scattered bunch of gaseous matter drifting through an endless void." Killian gaped at her indifference, mildly offended.

"That is the most pathetic thing I've ever heard, Swan. Where is your imagination?" His eyes lit up once more as he peered at the sky above the clearing to the constellation in question. "It depicts the tale of an enticing romance that will be etched in the night sky for thousands of years, reminding generations to come of the power of true love." Emma was silent as she squinted at the constellation expectantly, as if Killian's passionate statement could somehow change her view.

"Do you _really_ believe that true love is in the stars for everyone?" Killian could hear the fear Emma tried so hard to hide behind the sarcastic quip. He peered over at her, though Emma refused to meet his gaze. He returned his stare to the endless sky above.

"Don't you?" It was a simple enough question, but Emma's silence spoke volumes. It hurt Killian's heart to think that Emma no longer believed in love. He could tell that she had before, a long time ago, for she wore the same guarded expression he bore for so many years. To have been hurt by love so many times that a better alternative seemed to be to block it out completely was something Killian had hoped no one else would be led to believe.

Killian reached between them and found Emma's hand, gently tangling his fingers around hers. Her wide eyes met his and he felt her stiffen, but she didn't make any moves to let go.

"Before my brother left on his final voyage, we were at the docks and he said to me: 'Look to the stars, little brother. They will guide you'. Then, when my brother died, the pain I felt was so unbearable that I thought I would never recover and I vowed to never look upon the stars again. It was as if a piece of me had died with him." Killian took a deep breath and felt Emma squeeze his hand in support and let him continue.

"A few years later, after I'd moved across seas, I met this amazing woman named Milah. She was brave, beautiful, lively, and it appeared that my life was taking a turn for the better. We were happy, or so I foolishly believed, for years before she a man to whom she was apparently betrothed shot her right in front of me, destroying yet another piece of me. With all those pieces gone, I became a broken man, Emma. Everyone I had ever loved, my parents, my brother, Milah, had all been ripped out my life, and I decided that love and pain would forever be synonymous." Rolling onto his shoulder, Killian came closer to Emma and he lowered his voice to a whisper.

"After spending years in a dark place, I found myself by the sea one night and when I finally looked up, I remembered the nonsense Liam had spewed about the stars being our guides. I realized that I was staring at the very same stars that Liam had set eyes on all those years ago and while I felt the pain of losing him once more, I found him in the stars. I had found the hope and solace that I needed to move forward and start to believe again."

A calm serenity fell over the pair with Killian's story lingering in the air as he rolled back onto his back. He didn't let go of Emma's hand just yet, and she didn't release his grasp either. She simply stayed silent, letting his words wash over her. Killian felt another squeeze on his hand and looked over to see Emma with her eyes shut, taking a tentative breath.

"His name was Neal," Emma began shakily, still unable to open her eyes. "I met him when I finally aged out of the system and..."

"Emma, you don't have to..."

"I know," she said, finally looking at him in the moonlight. "But maybe if I let it out in the dark, the light of the stars can show me a new path. You know, I can 'start to believe again' or something as equally cheesy," Emma teased, but Killian could hear the truth and his heart warmed to see Emma opening up to him.

So Emma shared her story, from Neal to prison, from the death of her friend to her string of bad relationships. It was liberating and petrifying all at the same time, putting so much of who she was out in the open. The thing that terrified her the most was that maybe it wasn't so terrifying sharing it with _him_. She felt much more at ease with her hand in his, not having it mean anything necessarily, but it was there in a comforting manner. Maybe it brought her closer to his warmth and maybe his rough hand felt perfect in hers. Maybe.

When Emma was done telling her story, she let out a deep sigh, but Killian swore he saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes as they glazed over, looking up once more.

"Thank you for tonight, Killian. This is beautiful." Emma felt her eyelids flutter in exhaustion. She hadn't realized it had gotten to be so late.

"Any time, Emma." Killian reluctantly released Emma's hand to sit up and grab the other blanket he had brought to their picnic. "But I have one more constellation to show you," he said as he slowly draped the blanket over her. He lay back down beside her and Emma decided to throw caution into the wind for once. She made sure not to look at him directly as she lifted the blanket, scooted over and let it fall over both of them. She curled into his side and rested her head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat under her ear.

"It was getting kind of chilly," Emma mumbled into his chest, feeling him laugh in response. Killian let his arm wrap around her so they would be more comfortable before he pointed towards the sky one last time.

"See that cross up there? With the bright star on the end?" Emma searched the sky where he was pointing before she saw what he was talking about. "That constellation there is called Cygnus which also means..."

"Swan."

"Aye." Killian felt Emma smile sleepily. "Swan."

Warm. That's what Emma felt as she drifted in and out of sleep, trying to let her tiredness take over. She felt Killian's deep breathing beneath her head and she figured he was no longer awake. Emma knew she should put some distance between the two of them and not stay curled in his strong arms, but it just felt too good. It's not like anyone would see them, they were out in the middle of the forest. Besides, he was just so warm.

 _Are the birds always this loud in the morning? And did I leave the window open? Since when is my bed this hard?_ Emma was not entirely awake as she groggily came out of her sleep. _And since when do I sleep next to..._ Emma's eyes shot open as she realized that they had stayed the night out in the forest. She and Killian were still in the _forest_?! _Shit! What time is it? We have to get back, send all the campers off, maybe grab a hairbrush, find..._

"Good morning, love," came a husky voice beside her, sending unwanted chills down her spine. They didn't have time to talk, they needed to get back!

"Killian! We fell asleep!" Emma jolted up out of his grasp and began to gather the blanket immediately.

"Oi! Bloody hell, woman. Don't you know it's bad form to rip someone's blanket off them?"

Emma sighed and poked him in the shoulder to try and make him get up. He growled (which Emma did not find sexy at all, nope, not in the slightest) and rolled away from her.

"Killian, we don't have time for good form. We need to get back to camp, it's morning! We could be late!" Killian blinked his eyes open and read his watch.

"Emma. It's 4:30 in the bloody morning, I think we have some time," he groaned (what was it with this man and his stupid, sexy self).

"Oh," Emma replied timidly. She had failed to notice that the dusky dawn had yet to welcome the brilliant yellow beams that cast their way through the trees. "Well maybe you could have told me that sooner," she grumbled as she lay down and stuffed the blanket under her head to use as a pillow. Emma picked at her sweater and listened to the sounds of the forest surrounding the clearing and followed the paths the wisps of clouds made across the sky with her eyes. Due to the momentary panic, the adrenaline was still pumping in her veins. She tried taking few deep breaths of the cool air to calm herself down.

"What in the blazes are you doing, love?" Killian asked, bewildered as he turned to face her.

"Honestly, Killian, I'm just breathing for God's sake. It's not like I'm snoring or anything."

"Oh I know. You sound like a fog horn when you snore," Killian declared. Emma was surprised by his comment and slightly offended.

"I do not snore!"

"Well you might if you actually went to sleep," Killian countered.

"Fine. I'll try harder," Emma conceded, "but your snoring better not wake me up."

"What?" Killian exclaimed in mock horror. "I do not snore!" Emma rolled her eyes as she settled into a comfortable position. They managed to remain silent for all of three seconds.

"Did you set an alarm?" Emma cut frantically into the quietness.

"Aye. We'll be back well before 7:30, alright?" Killian's words slurred together as he fell deeper and deeper into a sleep.

"Okay," Emma sighed in relief. She let her own drowsiness start to take over and after a few final glances at the trees lining the dark blue sky, she fell back asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Emma and Killian returned well before the campers awoke and were able to help the rest of the Camp Storybrooke counselors see the kids off at 8:30. Before relaxing for the weekend, the staff usually had a meeting before breakfast to briefly discuss the prior week and introduce any matters that should be attended to before the following Monday when the next squad of campers was brought in.

The clan leaders sluggishly made their way to the dining hall, allowing their tiredness to show once all the campers were gone. With most of them sporting pre-coffee scowls, Emma's vibrant smile seemed a bit out of place, but as they all sat down, they were relieved to see that her good mood had somehow returned. Killian himself wore a small smile, pleased that he and Emma were back to their old dynamic.

And maybe onto something new? He'd long since acknowledged his feelings for Emma, but he knew pushing her would only result in pushing her away. At first, he'd been content with being whatever she needed him to be, but after last night... He'd felt something shift, and he was sure she'd felt it too. Although he wasn't quite sure where she stood, he was hopeful that she would give him a chance. However long it took, he'd be waiting. Emma was far beyond worth it. For now, he'd treasure the quiet moments: the feeling of holding her in his arms, feeling her gently breathe against him as they fell asleep under the moonlight, they way that they _knew_ each other in ways no one else did.

That was one thing Killian couldn't quite comprehend. How they had come to understand one another and build a strong, mutual trust so quickly astounded him... but then again it didn't. Sometimes he felt like it was the only thing in his life that made any sense at all. Maybe it was the romantic in him. The part of him that Milah had broken was the same part that Emma was putting back together. They hadn't even kissed, but there was no point denying that he was in love with her.

* * *

Emma felt giddy. She wasn't sure she'd ever smiled before the sun had risen, but there was a first for everything. She made it through the entire morning meeting without snapping at Will (another first) and was still smiling like an idiot when Mary Margaret and David caught up with her on their way up the the houses.

"Hey, guys," Emma greeted merrily as they fell into step just behind her.

"Someone's awfully chipper this morning," Mary Margaret teased knowingly. Between Ruby, Granny, Killian and Henry, Emma wouldn't be surprised if all the staff, if not half the world, had heard about the adventure Killian had planned the night before. "How was your date?"

"It wasn't a date," she said hastily. She saw David's scowl subside at her remark and her heart warmed at the thought that he still looked out for her like a brother. "But it was a fun, nice, relaxing evening."

Emma didn't want to go too much into detail. The fact that Mary Margaret's grin was nearly stretching off her face at that simple description made Emma wonder how she would respond if she told her they'd spent the night cuddled under the stars. Hell, Emma still wasn't sure how to process that information.

Instead, she turned the conversation on them and asked them about the dance and their upcoming honeymoon in the fall. The couple was taking a two-week vacation to Ireland where they planned to stay in a castle and ride horses through the lush countryside. The pair were so hardworking, and while sometimes nauseatingly romantic, Mary Margaret and David deserved a charming getaway.

After they parted ways, Emma showered and got ready for a trip into town. She and Henry were buying groceries for the camp and checking out the new school he'd be attending in September. He'd be going to school in town because it was only a 20 minute car ride from Camp Storybrooke and Emma could take him when she was heading in to work during the year.

After popping in a load consisting solely of camp t-shirts and jeans into the laundry (she needed a large supply to last her the week), Emma went to the dining hall to meet Henry. She snagged a blueberry muffin from the kitchens as she waited, and grabbed a chocolate chip one for Henry.

"Hey, Mom," Henry said as he walked excitedly into the hall. He grinned at the muffin perched on the table, unwrapping it as he sat down. "How was your date last night?" he asked innocently through the crumbs.

"How was _your_ date last night?"

Henry nearly chocked on his muffin as he turned bright red. He would have to have a word with Killian about keeping quiet about certain subjects. "It.. it wasn't a date," he stuttered.

"Neither was mine," Emma replied cheekily. She should have felt bad for embarrassing him, she really should have. "But it was really fun, and the cookies were decorated beautifully," she answered, giving Henry an easy out.

"So it went well?" Henry asked.

"I would say so," Emma replied with a smile.

"Good! Cause I already invited Killian to come out with us today. He said he had business to do in town and I thought that since we were already gonna head into town to do the food and school and stuff, he could maybe... join..." Henry teetered off, sensing that maybe this wasn't the best of his ideas.

"I think that would be great," Emma said, causing Henry's grin to light back up. "Do you want to go get him and meet me at the car?"

"Yeah!" With that, Henry raced off and Emma picked up their muffin wrappers before throwing them out and heading over to her car. She was glad that Killian would be coming with them. They had had a good thing going, and it would be nice for just the three of them to hang out again.

As much as it scared her, Emma couldn't help the ease and familiarity she felt when with Henry and Killian. It felt like it had always been that way, and her mind (along with that voice in her head she tended to ignore) appeared to enjoy scheming up scenarios for the future: _Killian teaching Henry to fish in the lake... The three of them camping deep in the "Enchanted Forest", Killian playing the guitar as Emma helps Henry make the perfect s'more... Emma and Killian spending a relaxing afternoon together before picking Henry up from school..._ Emma refused to dwell on these scenes, but she was finding it harder and harder to deny one fact: she did, in fact, have feelings for Killian.

While the fact that Killian would leave at the end of the summer made her adamant that nothing could happen between them, she was scared that her attraction to him would take over. Not only was he a _very_ attractive man, but the more Emma had got to know him, and let him know her, the more she found herself wanting all the things she told herself she never would.

After Neal, and her string of bad relationships since, she swore she'd never let love in again. She'd built walls around her heart and strove to not feel lonely even when alone. But with Killian, she'd learned to trust again. He would never hurt her intentionally, but he would eventually leave. It was, after all, a _summer_ job. They'd become so close that she knew it would hurt when he finally left. They weren't even together, and it would hurt like hell.

* * *

As the trio rode into town, Killian and Henry were chattering away, planning a day-long hike for the following day. Henry was eager to practice using the compass Killian had given him, and Killian was looking for any excuse to spend a summer day outside. They invited Emma to join them, of course, but she politely declined, not wanting to interrupt their "boy's trip" (" _It's a bloody man's trip, Swan. We're_ not _boys."_ ).

She was incredibly grateful to Killian for being there for Henry, and for being an amazing male role model when Henry had never really had one. Sure, he had David, who was amazing with Henry, but his bond with Killian was different. David had already been Emma's friend and Henry had never really got to know him. Killian, however, spent countless hours with the kid and they became true friends. Not to mention the way Henry looked at Killian with such admiration and adoration, it made Emma's heart flip in her chest. While she appreciated their bond, Emma knew Henry would be devastated when Killian had to leave until the next year.

But now that Henry was living with Emma at Camp Storybrooke, he would be able to see the other counselors who lived in the town as they often frequented camp throughout the year. Emma didn't know where Killian end up living, but she knew it wouldn't be in town. It wasn't his home. She'd never expect him to leave his whole life behind, and and she refused to give Henry, or herself, false hope.

* * *

"Killian," Emma said as they got out of the car. "Henry mentioned that you had some business to do in town?"

"Aye," he replied. "It shan't take more than an hour."

"Okay." Emma got her purse out of the car and shut the door, turning to face the men. "Henry and I are going to check out the school he'll be attending and maybe some of the places just around it." They had parked in the parking lot of the grocery store and planned to spend the rest of the day on foot. Everything in the town was fairly close together, with only one main road connecting all the major shops, so it wouldn't be too difficult getting around. "Meet back here at 11:30?"

"Sounds like a plan, love," Killian agreed with a smile, clapping Henry on the shoulder before taking off down the road. Emma knew it wasn't the time to admire his tousled black hair and sculpted biceps, but he was wearing his tight, navy blue shirt and those skinny jeans that...

"Uhmm, Mom?" Henry said slowly as she not-so-subtly ogled the man walking away.

"Hmm? Oh. Ready, kid?" Emma asked, flustered that she'd let herself stare. Although she suspected that he knew exactly what had transpired, Henry didn't say anything.

"Yep!"

The rest of the afternoon went by without a hitch. Henry deemed that the playground would do nicely, that the school didn't look too much like a prison, and the fact that there was a frozen yogurt place across the street certainly sealed the deal. Emma and Henry meandered back to the parking lot where Killian was leaning against Emma's bug, basking in the sunlight. _And looking like a freaking god. Damn him._

"Good afternoon, lad," Killian saluted as Henry rushed over to tell him about his new school. After the Henry had eagerly replayed their entire tour, Killian suggested that they get some lunch before buying the groceries and heading back. They set off to find a quiet restaurant, Henry bounding from square to square, careful not to step on any cracks, as Emma and Killian walked leisurely behind him.

Emma felt a giggle bubble over as she watched Henry lose his balance for a moment and nearly face-plant flat on the cement. She looked over at Killian who laughed, and then let his face settle back into its easy smile. Only this time, there was something more behind his grin. Emma could see a child-like glee in his eyes and he could barely contain his smile from spreading.

Killian sensed a pair of eyes on him and turned to face the blonde woman by his side. "What?" he prompted gently.

"What are you..."

"Guys! Can we go here?" Henry called out from a few meters ahead of them. The small moment was lost as they caught up with the boy and entered the restaurant.

* * *

"Oh come on, Killian! One more?" Mary Margaret pleaded. That night, all the counselors staying at camp over the weekend were gathered around the campfire, listening to Killian serenade them with his guitar. He was quite talented, but wasn't a fan of being the center of attention for too long.

"I think we've had enough..."  
"Pleeease?"

"Alright, fine," Killian conceded. He'd lost count of how many "last one"s he'd played that night. As he strummed the opening chords to a delicate lullaby to end the evening, he was acutely aware of Emma's presence beside him. He had accomplished something in town that afternoon and had resolved to tell her before they'd been interrupted by Henry that afternoon.

Now, he was nervous to see how she'd react to hearing what he'd done because while he did it for himself, a bigger part than he was caring to admit had wanted to do it for Emma and Henry. He cared about them more than he'd cared about anything or anyone in the last decade. Yes, it scared the absolute crap out of him, but he couldn't deny himself the chance at happiness any longer. There was always the chance that she would push him away if he revealed his news, but she deserved to know.

Eventually, the leaders wound their way back to the cabins, leaving the warmth of the dying fire. Anna was the last one left with Emma, Henry and Killian, but with a great yawn, she stood slowly. She looked around the fire, her eyes widening slightly between Emma and Killian as she realized a great opportunity.

"Come on, Henry," Anna said as she crossed the area to head to the path. "I'll walk you back to your cabin if you want to get ready for bed before Killian comes in." Subtlety was not a strong suit among the Arendelles. Henry caught on quickly, despite his sleepy state, and bid Emma and Henry a hasty goodnight before following Anna down the path.

Emma and Killian were silent, staring into the blistering embers. Emma's heart was pounding so loud, she was surprised Killian couldn't hear it. She opted instead for conversation, remembering there had been something she'd wanted to ask him about.

"Killian?" Her voice cut into the still night.

"Aye, love?"

"Why did you come into town today?" It was a simple enough question, but she knew there had to be a reason for his exceptionally buoyant mood earlier in the day.

"I, uh... Well, it's because I'm..." Killian turned to look directly at Emma, the last licks of flames lighting her eyes as she looked up at him.

"I'm moving into town."

Emma's heart skipped a beat. "You're... you're what?" She could not believe what she was hearing.

"I'm staying. I'm moving into town," Killian repeated a little more slowly. "I found a cheap apartment to live in while I get back on my feet and find a job. I've been looking at different ads in the paper and I've found a few that actually interest me. I hope to start a future here." His eyes bore into hers, unable to look away. While he could usually read Emma quite well, he was drawing a blank as tried to gauge her reaction.

* * *

Killian was going on about an apartment and a job, but all Emma could hear was " _I'm not leaving._ "

He was moving his whole life to be closer to the camp, to Henry, to _her_. As much as it terrifies her, she knew there was no other reason that he would move to the middle of nowhere. She could tell from the hesitance in his speech and the doubt written across his face that he wasn't sure how she'd react to such big news. Whatever she'd been expecting him to say, it certainly hadn't been that. " _I'm staying._ " The reality of what he'd done was beginning to settle in her bones and she was waiting for the dread to start drowning her heart, but it never came. " _I hope to start a future here._ " His cerulean eyes flashed with insecurity at her prolonged silence. The severity of the moment was not lost on either of them.

"Emma," he breathed. "Say something."

But Emma didn't have anything to say. She closed the short distance between them, and crashed her lips to his.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

Killian was briefly in shock before snaking an arm around Emma's waist and bringing his other hand up to tangle in her blonde curls. He slanted his lips more firmly against hers as her grip on his collar brought them as close as possible. He couldn't get enough of her.

They parted momentarily to catch their breaths, foreheads touching and breathing each other in under the canopy of pine trees. The campfire glow flickered and bathed them in a warm light. Emma's hands left Killian's jacket and wove their way through his hair. Once they settled at the base of his neck, she leaned in again, slower this time. As their lips moved gently together, Killian marveled at just how soft hers were. Emma tilted her head and nipped at his lips, fingers dancing across his stubble.

After what felt like an eternity, a sharp crackle of the embers brought the pair back to their senses. With a final press of his lips, Killian leaned back and opened his eyes. He was glad to see that she appeared to be as wrecked by the kiss as he felt, but as soon as their eyes met, he felt the corners of his lips tilt up. Emma must have felt the same giddiness, for a dazzling smile made its way across her face.

"I'm glad you're moving here, Killian," Emma finally whispered, breaking the silence. Killian chuckled. That kiss had been pretty telling, but it was nice to hear all the same.

"Me too, Swan."

"Killian!" Henry's muffled yell made its way through the counselor's bedroom door in the Crocodile cabin the following morning. Groggily, Killian leaned over to his bedside table and checked his watch. It was 5:30 am. He internally cursed Henry's eagerness to start the hike he'd promised to take the boy on that day. Not that he'd ever wish for Henry to lose his enthusiasm, but there was a time and place for it. A time that was not earlier than the early bird, especially when Killian had been out late the night before.

 _The night before_. Killian was suddenly much more alert as his mind wandered to the prior evening's events. He would never forget the way his hand felt in Emma's as they meandered back to the cabins under the moonlight or the way she pulled him back into the trees before they hit the clearing for one more kiss. And then another. And another. By the time they were finally ready to say goodnight, Emma was nearly falling asleep on her feet. He had watched her trudge her way towards the path leading up to her house before exhaling a deep breath and entering his own cabin.

"I'll just go to the dining hall, see you there, Killian!" Killian was yanked from his thoughts as he heard Henry bustling around to gather his things. Jumping out of bed, Killian opened his door to see Henry with his backpack, tugging his hiking boots on.

"Woah! Slow down there, lad. Who do you expect will make you food at five thirty in the bloody morning?" Killian didn't imagine Granny was fond of waking up before the sunrise on her Sunday when she had to do just that the other six days of the week. Henry slumped his shoulders having clearly not thought his plan the whole way through. "Just let me change and grab my bag. I'll be ready in two shakes."

When Killian re-emerged from his room, he found Henry sitting on a vacant bunk bed toying with the compass he'd given the boy at the beginning of the summer. Killian had been teaching him how to use it over the past weeks and he'd become quite the little navigator.

Killian pulled on his runners while Henry slung the compass around his neck. The pair made their way over to the dining hall which was eerily empty given the hour. Killian had a key to the camp pantry (being exceedingly charming had its perks, Granny hadn't stood a chance) and grabbed some bagels for breakfast along with some muffins and granola bars for the hike. The first beams of sunlight peeked through the trees as Killian and Henry approached the trail head, munching on their bagels. They came to a halt at the trees where there was a fork in the paths.

"Alright, Henry," Killian said, readjusting his backpack on his shoulders. "Lead the way!"

Emma woke with a smile on her face. She couldn't help the way her lips tingled when she thought about kissing Killian the night before. Damn, that man could kiss. She wasn't quite sure where they stood now, but she could finally admit to herself that she had strong feelings for the Irish man.  
However, she didn't want to let herself get caught up in trying to label what they had just yet. For once, she wanted to let herself just enjoy the relationship. _Were they in a relationship?_ Emma wasn't sure, but her stomach did a somersault at the thought. She would have to talk to Killian about it at some point, but she knew he and Henry were hiking all day so she'd have to wait until the evening.  
Emma got up and showered before crossing the camp and picking her way down the path to the sparkling lake, Lake Nostos, where she was to meet Mary Margaret and Elsa. She spotted them chatting idly at the tiny dock Kristoff, Robin and Will had spent the previous summer repairing. They often referred to it as "Henry's dock" because the boy carved a different "H" into it every vacation with the Swiss Army knife David gave him when he first stayed over for the winter holiday. As Emma approached, she spied the picnic basket at Mary Margaret's feet and felt her stomach grumble. She'd woken up much later than she usually did on Sundays and hadn't eaten anything to save room for the brunch that her fellow Swan clan leader had planned. Only now, she realized she was starving and couldn't wait to hop in the canoe, paddle to the remote island in the middle of the lake and eat whatever delicious sandwiches Granny had made for them.

"Hey, Emma!" Mary Margaret exclaimed cheerfully and gave Emma a quick hug.

"Finally," Elsa muttered under her breath with a teasing exasperation, loud enough so that the arriving blonde could hear. "I'm starving!"

They gathered in the boat and paddled leisurely towards their destination, their hunger momentarily forgotten. They spotted three turtles in the marshy area bordering the lake, along with two blue herons on the distant shore. The water was as blue as the clear sky above it, the ripples dancing across the surface with each stroke of the paddle. It was quiet; a rare occurrence when Elsa, Emma and Mary Margaret got together, but they were speechless amidst the breath-taking scenery of the valley. Once they neared Neverland (an island suitably named by Regina eight summers ago, since no one seemed to be able to land there without capsizing until a tiny dock was built), Elsa carefully jumped on the rocks in the shallow waters and cautiously dragged the boat towards the dock. She helped Emma step out of the canoe and the two of them steadied the boat while Mary Margaret climbed out with the food.

"So," Emma mumbled a little later through a mouthful of Granny's famous grilled cheese at the picnic spot they'd settled in at the middle of the island, "how was the Sparrow Clan this past week?"

"My kids were actually pretty great!" Mary Margaret replied. She said that every week. "There was this one girl, Merida, who was so sweet. She's coming back next week, so I promised her I'd take her to the archery range." They had a variety of activities at Camp Storybrooke, ranging from ropes courses in the forest to snorkeling in the lake, from ziplines deeper down the paths to archery practice. "And how were the Swans?"

Emma thought back to the group of girls she and Elsa led over the last week. For some reason, the only thing she could remember about them at that moment was the way they'd teased her mercilessly about Killian and how they'd egged her on to accept his plight for company on Friday night. And maybe they'd been a little bit right about the mutual yearning between Emma and the "sexy Crocodile counselor", but that was before Emma had acknowledged her attraction to the man. Before she'd finally tasted Killian's lips by the campfire, before she'd felt his stubble scrape her cheek, his hands gliding over her waist...

"Earth to Emma? Hello?" Elsa snapped her fingers in front of Emma's glazed eyes, shaking her out of her trance.

"Hmm?" Emma felt her face heat up at the images replaying in her mind.

"I was just telling Mary Margaret about the girl in our group with the bushy hair and..." Elsa teetered off, sensing Emma's lack of focus return. "Emma!"

Emma knew that she should probably not be so obvious in her blatant disinterest in the conversation at hand, one that she had even started, because her two best friends would see right through any front she put up to try to disguise the fact that her head and heart were in the clouds. She wondered briefly if this was how Mary Margaret felt whenever she was apart from David, even after having been together for such a long time. Not that Emma was comparing whatever she and Killian shared to the love between newlyweds ( _was she?_ ), but the way her head spun and butterflies fluttered in her stomach was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. And they'd only shared a kiss.

"Emma, are you okay? You've been uncharacteristically quiet all afternoon." Mary Margaret's voice was suddenly laced with concern, and Emma realized she'd been overcompensating for the fleeting thoughts bouncing around in her head by gazing into the distance with as stony an expression as possible.

"I kissed Killian!" Emma blurted out of nowhere. She knew they would have weaseled it out of her eventually and maybe in her subconscious, she wanted to talk about what had happened.

"You... you what?" Elsa was caught totally off-guard while Mary Margaret offered Emma a warm, knowing smile.

"I kissed him. He.. We kissed." It was silent for a moment before squeals pierced the air. Elsa was beyond excited for her best friend.

"When?! How did it happen? Was it good?" Elsa asked with a smirk.

"It was last night after the campfire," Emma replied, ignoring the other questions completely. She had hardly had time to process what had happened between her and Killian the prior night, but now that it had settled in her mind and been spoken out loud, Emma could feel a new feeling creeping in. A feeling she'd been surprised had stayed at bay since last night.

"We're so happy for you!" Mary Margaret leaned over to give Emma a hug, but upon sensing the tension in her body, she pulled back and studied Emma's face. "Emma," she prodded gently. "What's the problem?"

Emma shifted uncomfortably on the hard ground. "I know I should be happy because we finally kissed, and I was. I mean, I am. Don't get me wrong." Elsa and Mary Margaret grinned at Emma's use of the word _finally_. "But I'm..." Emma hesitated. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She looked pointedly at a mossy patch on the ground. "I'm scared." She looked up as her friends registered her whispered admission.

"Emma," Mary Margaret started softly, "I've seen the way Killian is when he's with you and how you are with him. Killian is not Neal. He's not just going to.."  
"I know," Emma interjected quietly, because she knew where Mary Margaret was going and she didn't need that particular lecture about Killian. "I know he wouldn't leave. He's actually, um... Well, he's moving here." Elsa and Mary Margaret gasped at the news. "I mean, he's moving into town," Emma continued. "But I'm not scared he's going to leave."

The importance of admitting that out loud to herself and her friends was not lost on any of them. Having been an orphan her entire life, Emma had never felt secure in one place or with anyone. Not until meeting Mary Margaret and her family. Not until Camp Storybrooke had become her home. But even after finding somewhere to plant her roots, Emma still found it hard to let people in. Somehow, the wrong kind of men had found their way into her life throughout the years and had cemented that fear of abandonment in her mind until she'd resigned to the fact that she was better off alone.

And then along came Killian, a man who had turned her view of the world completely on its head. While it may have taken her a while to open up her heart, there was something in him that she'd innately trusted from the start. Now that she'd started falling, she couldn't seem to stop.

"Then what are you afraid of, Ems?" Elsa asked. Both women were trying to get a read on where this was going.

Emma looked at the ground once more and tried to sum up her feelings in her own scattered mind. The more she realized that she wasn't scared that the strength of Killian's feelings was too weak for him stay, the more she found herself admitting that it was the strength of her own feelings that was the problem: how deep those feelings were already. She felt her face heat up as she registered the fact that what she felt for Killian was something she'd never, _ever_ experienced before.

She was scared because this was a man that she could see herself loving and being loved by in return, but what terrified her the most was how much she let herselfbe filled with hope for a future with him. _Now that I've started falling, I can't seem to stop._

"Emma?" Mary Margaret prompted as Emma averted her eyes, blushing furiously. _I shouldn't have said anything at all._

She waited a moment before replying. "I guess I'm afraid that even though we've only known each other for a month, I feel like I've known him forever. And I'm not afraid of the future in the sense that I'm worried we won't have one," she rambled, Mary Margaret and Elsa hanging onto every word and trying to understand. "I'm scared because of the future I see with him. You know?" Emma focused on her hands fiddling in her lap. "I'm afraid because I think, somehow, I might love him and I... I don't know what to do about it."

Slowly, Emma lifted her gaze to see her friends rendered speechless. She saw that they both had tears in their eyes and their mouths were slightly opened in surprise. Emma never talked about her feelings, yet here she was, confiding in her two best friends that she was in love. Or might be. Both of them knew how big of a deal it was for Emma just to let someone in, so to hear this confession they understood just how strong her feelings were for Killian.

"Oh, Emma. Being in love is scary," Mary Margaret said. "It's alright to not know how to react."

"And if you're not quite there yet, that's okay too," Elsa piped in as Mary Margaret nodded beside her. "Whatever it is you have with Killian is obviously special and you don't need to label it or figure it all out right off the bat."

Her friends' words were things she probably knew anyway, but it was comforting to hear coming from them and helped to put her mind at ease while her heart continued to race. She wasn't sure she wanted everyone to know about her and Killian just yet. She wanted to be able to figure things out with him and see where he stood without the entire camp putting in their two cents, so she would have to trust her two best friends to keep it a secret. Well, she knew she could trust the blonde, it was the brunette she knew would have trouble not spilling the secret to her husband.

"Thanks guys," Emma said. "Do you think you could keep this on the down low? Just for a while?" Elsa nodded right away, but Mary Margaret looked a little sheepish. Of course she wanted to tell David. For Killian's sake, Emma hoped she wouldn't tell the Stallion clan leader who she knew would hunt Killian down and interrogate him. "Mary Margaret..." Emma groaned.

"Oh Emma, I'm terrible at keeping secrets!" Mary Margaret confessed. Elsa laughed as Emma gave the Swallow clan leader a glare.

"Can you please just keep this one?" Emma pleaded. She took Mary Margaret's hand. Mary Margaret looked into Emma's pleading eyes and could tell that this meant a lot to Emma. "Pleasejust let us tell everyone on our own time?" The brunette struggled for a moment before giving Emma a slight nod and squeezing her hand.

"Okay," she resigned reluctantly. "I'm really happy for you," she added with a smile, one that Emma easily returned.

The trio went back to their sandwiches, eating peacefully while listening to the water trickling under the low-hanging branches that protruded off the island and the birds flitting from tree to tree. Emma wished that they had more time to do this over the summer. More time to take in the fresh breeze rolling off the lake or to lose themselves in the tall pines of the Enchanted Forest.

"Come on, Emma." Elsa exclaimed, interrupting the peaceful serenity they'd begun to enjoy. "I'm dying here. Is he a good kisser?"

"Are we almost there, Killian? I'm hungry." Henry clambered over a log, clinging to the compass he was trying to read.

"I believe we've another two kilometres to go, lad," Killian called up from where he'd fallen back from tying his shoe. He'd been stepping on his laces all day and tripping over tree roots that occupied the lesser kept paths. To say his head wasn't entirely focused on the hike at hand was an understatement. While all he wanted to do was replay last night's moments with Emma in his mind, he also wanted to be as present and attentive as possible for Henry. The boy was so excited to spend time with him and he wouldn't dream of disappointing him.

"We have been heading due west, correct?" Killian asked as he caught up with him.

"I think so," Henry admitted timidly. Putting a hand on his shoulder, Killian read the compass in Henry's hand and his heart soared with pride.

"Fine work you've been doing there, mate! We're right on course." Henry beamed and took off with a renewed bounce in his step.

As Killian watched the boy take off, he couldn't help but be reminded of himself at a similar age. He remembered looking up at Liam as he explained star charts, constellations and different navigation tools aboard ships with wonder and eagerness in his eyes, much like Henry regarded him. Because Killian himself knew what it was like to feel abandoned and unwanted by his parents, he also knew what it meant to have someone to look up to, someone he knew would be there for him without having to fear being disappointed. When Liam died, Killian hadn't known what to do. Now that Killian and Henry had developed such a close bond over the span of but one month, it would be incredibly difficult when September came and they were separated. At least he was moving into town where he could visit Emma and Henry any chance he could, should Emma continue to wish it.

Killian shook his head and laughed to himself. He was already so bloody in love with the woman. There was no point denying it. He liked to be honest with his emotions, whether he chose to vocalize them or not, and he knew that he would most likely scare Emma running if he told her the extent of his feelings. He felt like they'd spent a whole lifetime getting to know each other rather than the one month that had transpired. Perhaps it was the way one could read the other without needing to say anything, or the way they'd connected through truths about their pasts. Kindred spirits and all that. Whatever it was that had brought the pair together in such a way, he was eternally grateful for he had found a sense of meaning, something to believe in that had been missing from his life for so long.

 _Bloody hell._

It never crossed his mind that by taking this job, it would change his life entirely. Yet here he was, starting anew in a strange little town in the middle of nowhere. Granted, his old life crumbled when he lost his job and his house, but deep down he knew it wouldn't take long for him to put the pieces back together. If it was anything as fast as Emma had mended the pieces of his heart, he'd be feeling at home in no time.

Camp Storybrooke, he realized with a start, washis home.


End file.
